


Wake The Storm

by foreverfelicityqueen (stydiasredstring), holysmoaksoliver



Series: Wake Verse [4]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Sequel, Spies & Secret Agents, series continuation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2020-04-07 11:43:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 153,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19084342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stydiasredstring/pseuds/foreverfelicityqueen, https://archiveofourown.org/users/holysmoaksoliver/pseuds/holysmoaksoliver
Summary: It’s been 2 months since Tommy disappeared just days after his father destroyed downtown Starling City with the Markov device.  Two months of Felicity and Oliver not knowing where their best friend has been, or what has become of him since being healed by water from the Lazarus Pit.  After everything they’ve been through together, are they strong enough to survive what comes next?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Lovelies! Guess who is back again?! Yes, it's us. Back with volume THREE of this gargantuan fic verse. This has grown beyond our wildest expectations, but we're so excited to bring back the final installment of the Wake Verse. We hope that you all continue to enjoy the ride. We promise to make it as entertainable as possible. 
> 
> Much love!   
> -Cassie
> 
> Welcome back guys! It's been a while. But we have a wild ride in store for you. Our heroes are on the precipice of some great things. And who knows how that will end... hope you're ready for this.
> 
> -Kayla

A/N: Just a quick note-- This is Volume 3 of the Wake Verse.  You may want to turn back now if you haven't read Before the World Wakes and In The Wake of Yesterday.  (Or at least the synopses?  But who are we to judge... do as you will.)  And without further ado....

\---

Oliver crept toward the corner of the house, careful not to make a sound.  He peered around the corner, but everything seemed quiet, not a soul to be seen.  He took a step forward, eyes scanning the perimeter as he went.

A twig snapped behind him and Oliver flattened to the side of the building, pulling his gun up defensively.  He waited a beat and then glanced around, checking the area again. But there was nothing there. Oliver extended the gun once more, aiming into the backyard.  Trees lined the perimeter with a fence visible between them. Narrowing his eyes, Oliver scanned the area again.

“I know you’re here,” he called into the empty space.  At the very least, Oliver  _ thought _ he was there.  There wasn’t another way out, and scaling the fence wasn’t an option.

Another rustling behind him and Oliver turned, just in time to hear the target on his chest beep at him.

“Gotcha!” Will said, climbing out from the bushes before dissolving into a fit of giggles.

Oliver laughed, pulling the infrared sensitive target off over his head.  “I’ll have to make a mental note to practice my laser tag skills,” he said, ruffling William’s hair as they moved to the porch.

“Little secret?” Samantha said, grinning widely at them.  “He cheats.” She gave Oliver a wink.

“Do not!” Will exclaimed, pulling off his own sensor and setting it down on the porch along with his laser tag gun.

“Oh no?” she countered.  “Then what do you call hiding under the porch?”

“Good strategy,” the boy said, matter-of-factly.

Oliver and Samantha both laughed at that.  “You’ve got that right,” Oliver said, setting his equipment down beside Will’s.  They’d spent nearly an hour out there in the yard, while Samantha was fixing dinner, and Oliver had lost to Will almost every time.  And only about half of it was on purpose.  _ Under the porch _ .  No wonder Oliver hadn’t figured out where the boy disappeared to every time.  He laughed a little again. Leave it to his son to strategize laser tag.

William darted for the kitchen table, claiming his seat and gulping down long swallows of water.  He paused, mid-sip, to find Samantha giving him a hard glare.

“Oops,” he said with a sheepish smile, setting his glass back down.  “C’mon Oliver. We need to wash up before we eat.”

Oliver glanced at Samantha.  “What?” she said with a shrug.  “You heard the rules.” He nodded, but didn’t make an attempt to move.  “What?” she asked again, almost self-conscious this time.

He smiled softly.  “Just… you’ve done so good with him.”  He sighed. “Not that I had any doubts about that.  I remember how compassionate you were. Strong when you needed to be, but always full of warmth.  But I can’t imagine how hard it’s been to do this alone.”

Samantha nodded, her eyes turning a little glassy.  She moved to the small hutch at the far end of the kitchen and pulled something from the drawer, holding it up for him to see.  “You have no idea how much easier cashing this would have made things.” She blinked back tears, offering him the check that his mother had given her all those years ago to disappear from Oliver’s life.  “But I knew if it was just going to be Will and I, that I was going to make it work on my own. I needed to prove that to myself, to everyone else. So I kept it, and every time things got tough, I pulled it out and looked at it, and laughed at myself for being so stupid and not cashing it when I had the chance.  And somehow, once I got to the point where I could laugh about it and not be upset or worried, I knew that everything really would be okay.” She paused, glancing at the doorway where Will still hadn’t returned from the bathroom. “Sorry, I didn’t plan on telling you all that. And I didn’t do it so you’d pity us or whatever.  I guess I just wanted you to know, it was never about the money.”

“I never thought it was,” he answered.

“Mooom,” Will called.  “We have a situation!”

Samantha’s eyes went wide.  “I… I’ll be right back.”

Oliver nodded, grateful for the interruption.  He swallowed hard once she was gone, thinking about all the time he’d missed with Will, all the help he could have offered to Samantha.  He should have been there, pulling his own weight, and no one had ever given him the chance. Anger flared hot in him again, thinking about what his mother had done.  Even having forgiven her, it was clear that it would be a long while before things between them were good again.

“Sorry about that,” Samantha said, coming back into the room with William in tow.  “He decided he needed to refill the soap dispenser. And… well, let’s just say the bathroom is very clean.”

Oliver smiled and they all took their seats at the table.  As they ate, Will regaled Oliver with stories of all of his favorite superheroes.  Oliver sat at rapt attention, enjoying every bit of the time he was able to spend with his son.  He knew that too soon, he would have to return back to Starling, back to his life, and time with William would be at a premium.

He found himself, not for the first time that day, thinking about Tommy.  After the phone call from Felicity the day before, Oliver found himself wondering more and more about his friend.  He knew  _ why _ Tommy had left, but he didn’t know where he’d gone, or what was driving him home now.  Oliver hoped that his friend was better, although he wasn’t sure how Tommy could have possibly recovered from whatever the water had done to him, when Nyssa had healed him.

And then there was Amanda Waller.  The ARGUS director had been on the tarmac at the airport when Tommy had disappeared, and none of them, not even Lyla, had been able to get information out of her.  Had Waller sent him on a mission? Oliver didn’t think so, especially not looking back on the funeral. It was clear that Tommy was saying goodbye- Oliver just wished he’d seen the signs earlier.  Felicity had, and even that hadn’t been enough to stop Tommy from going.

Samantha cleared her throat, pulling Oliver’s attention back to the table.  “Everything okay?”

Oliver blinked, focusing on her and the small boy who was giving him a curious head-tilted look.  “Sorry, yeah. I was just thinking about a friend of mine.”

“What’s your friend’s name?” Will asked.

“Tommy,” Oliver answered with a smile.  “He’s been my best friend since I was your age.  And he’s been away for a little while. I just found out he’s coming home soon.”

“Why did he go away?”

“William,” Samantha scolded.  “It’s not nice to ask things like that.”

“It’s okay. He…” Oliver paused and met William’s intent gaze.  “You know buddy, I’m actually not sure why he went away. I do know that he was sad because he lost his dad.”

The boy’s brow knit into a furrow.  “Can’t he find him?”

Oliver smiled softly.  “It’s not that kind of lost.  I wish it was, but his dad isn’t coming back.”  He glanced over at Samantha, whose brow mimicked her son’s.  Oliver could see the battle raging within her and it didn’t take him long to determine why.

“My dad is lost too,” Will said quietly.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Oliver said, working hard to swallow the lump that suddenly arose in his throat.  “Do you think you’ll find him?”

“I don’t know,” Will frowned.  He turned in his seat to face his mother.  “Mom? Do you think I will?”

Samantha cleared her throat.  “Actually baby, Oliver and I have to tell you something.”

Oliver’s phone rang in his pocket, piercing through the moment they were on the verge of having with their son.  “I’m sorry,” he said, silencing it and pulling it out. He frowned when his mother’s name appeared on the screen.  It wasn’t like her to call him, at least not since she’d told him about Samantha. “It’s my mother. I’ll call her back.”

Something dark fell across Samantha’s face at the mention of Moira.  Whatever openness had been present a moment ago was gone, leaving only hard lines and resolve in its place.

“What did you want to tell me, Mom?” Will asked, a mouthful of eggplant parmesan in his mouth.

She cleared her throat, glancing between him and Oliver before finally saying, “Nothing Will.”  She met Oliver’s eyes again, still speaking to her son. Their son. “We’ll tell you another time.”

Oliver frowned.  He hadn’t expected to tell William so early about who his father really was, but if ever an opportunity could present itself, that would have been it.  But he didn’t argue. If Samantha wanted to wait to tell him the truth, Oliver could give her that.

The remainder of the meal was filled with tension, at least between the adults.  William still chatted amiably, asking and answering questions with a lightness that could only come from being seven years old.  Oliver put the paternal conversation out of his mind, enjoying his time with his son while he could.

Afterward, Samantha and William walked him to the door.

“Are you going to come back and see us soon?” Will asked, leaning into his mother’s side.  The boy yawned wide, but tried to hide it.

“I’d love to,” Oliver said, ruffling his hair.  “Maybe next time we can go to a ball game or something.  What do you think?”

Will wrinkled his nose.  “Mom likes baseball. But not me.”

Oliver laughed.  “Well, we will find something else to do then.  I promise.”

“Tell Oliver bye, kiddo, and then go upstairs and get your jammies on.”

“Bye!” Will nodded, and then bounded up the stairs.

“Bye,” Oliver called back, before focusing back on Samantha.  “I’m sorry about the phone call earlier. I didn’t mean to interrupt dinner.”

She shook her head.  “I just…” she wrung her hands together, flustered.  “Thinking about your mother just brought it all back and freaked me out.  I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to tell him tonight. It was sooner than I wanted to, but it seemed like a pretty good segue.”

Oliver smiled, but he knew it was only half-hearted.  He’d been excited at the thought of telling Will the truth.  “There will be others,” he said finally. “I have some business to take care of in Starling.  And from what I understand, Tommy really is coming back. But if it’s okay with you, I’d like to come back to Central City and spend time with William again.  Soon.”

Samantha cleared her throat.  “Honestly, I never thought I’d get the chance to say this, but yes.  I’d love for you spend some time with your son.”

\---

It had been a long week with Oliver gone, and the hours seemed to drag since she got word about Tommy. But Felicity knew better than to shut herself in her apartment alone. The loneliness was only going to spread if she did that. She had to be around people. And it just so happened that she had already been talked into something that night. 

She pulled the door open and smiled as Thea stood on the other side. 

“I’m late, I know. But the distributor wouldn’t leave the delivery at first because I don’t look eighteen. And then when I showed him my license he asked me out for drinks on Saturday. Which was another headache on top of the one I already had.”

“Wow,” Felicity took the bags from her hands and rolled her eyes. “Is there food in these?”

“Yes. Four kinds of pasta, all courtesy of Raisa.”

“Then your tardiness is forgiven,” she laughed, motioning the younger Queen inside. “Honestly Laurel and Sara just got here themselves. Though they both looked ravenous when they arrived.”

“No Lyla?”

“She’s in Blüdhaven,” she said as they made their way into the kitchen. “Apparently tracking down some mob killer. Though that info came thanks to Digg, so I think it’s on a strict need to know basis. Meaning if she asks we didn’t know.”

“Wait not the Bertinelli mob killer?” Laurel asked as she set the food down. “Because the way I heard it, no one had a lead on that guy.”

“All I know is she couldn’t come,” Felicity held up her hands. “And that’s as much as I asked.”

“Besides,” Sara cut in. “I believe the deal was each of us had to leave work related things outside the confines of Girl’s Night. And you are borderlining there counselor.”

“So sue me for being curious.”

“Ooh she just used lawyer jargon,” Thea teased. “Should we penalize her for it?”

“You three are being ridiculous,” Laurel said, earning her an eye roll from Sara. “But you’re right, shop talk is done. And to prove it, I’m turning off my phone.”

“See let’s not get too crazy.”

“Come on Gig, you can go one night without your phone on.”

“Thea, you call me that again, and you will live to regret it,” Felicity warned.

Sara took one of the food containers from the bag, but she looked up with a mischievous grin. “Gig?”

“Felicity’s old nickname.”

“It was not a nickname, it’s not a name and Thea is going to be quiet now.”

“Wait,” Laurel poured herself a glass of water as she walked back over. “Is this the pet name, Mr. Perfect gave her?”

“The one and only.”

“I hate both of you right now,” she took the tortellini from Thea’s hands. “And I’m not sharing this.”

“Well Mr. Perfect sounds boring as hell.”

“He was,” Thea added.

“Enough about exes,” Felicity cut them off as she groaned. “What happened to no boy talk either? These were your rules, Thea.”

“No, I said no Ollie talk. I never said I wouldn’t bring up how you used to date Carter Bowen.”

“Maybe all relationship talk should be tabled,” Laurel said, and Felicity couldn’t help but flash to Tommy as her friend spoke.

She could see it in the woman’s eyes. And she wondered, not for the first time, if maybe she should tell Laurel that Tommy was coming back. If that grain of truth would help more than it could hurt. 

But she couldn’t help the pull of loyalty that kept her from speaking up. Tommy was her best friend. And it’s not that he asked her not to tell Laurel, but she didn’t think he wanted her to know. At least not yet. She could hold off until she talked to him at least. Hopefully.

Sara and Thea had taken the food and made their way to the living room, debating which movie to start the festivities off with. 

“Apparently it’s marathon night,” Laurel mused. “Sadly I probably can only do one or two.” Then she leaned in with a whisper. “I have court in the morning.”

“It’s okay, once Thea’s in movie mode she tunes out other convos. Feel free to talk about work all you want in here.”

Laurel nodded. “Tommy’s like that too.”

_ So much for not talking about him.  _ “Yeah.”

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought him up. I just,” she took a container of food and shrugged. “I wish I knew where he is, what he’s doing. If he’s okay. If he needs anything.”

“Laurel…”

“I shouldn’t bug you with this,” she added. “I know you’re missing him too. And so is Oliver, and Thea. And I’m not trying to pull the mood down by bringing him up. It’s just no one else really gets it. I mean my dad’s convinced he left because Malcolm ruined his name. And Sara’s been great, but she didn’t know the Tommy we did.”

“Laurel it’s okay to miss him,” if ever there was a time to tell her. But she couldn’t bring the words to the surface. “It’s also okay to be upset with him. He did leave without telling anyone.”

“Except his boss, apparently.”

“Trust me, I don’t think any of us saw that coming,” she thought back to that day. To finding Waller standing there as Tommy’s plane took off. She didn’t know who’s anger rose more, hers, Lyla’s, or Oliver’s. 

“Yeah I remember Oliver looking pretty pissed.”

To her credit Laurel hadn’t asked much about that day. She hadn’t wondered why Oliver looked ready to take Waller’s head off. She didn’t seem to have questions as to why the pair of them squared off in a tension filled glaring match.

But Lyla had stepped in, had threatened to quit on the spot if Waller didn’t tell her what was going on right then.

_ “Agent Merlyn, is taking a sabbatical.”  _ is what she told them. She also showed Lyla the letter Tommy left at ARGUS. Each of them recalled the feeling of goodbye in his words at the funeral. It all fit, except it didn’t. 

She should have pressed him harder, tried to get him to open up and talk to her. But she hadn’t. She let herself believe it was just the grief and the weight of what happened on the roof that kept Tommy distant. But it had been so much more. And she wished she could go back and help him somehow.

“He’s protective of the ones he cares about,” she added when she realized Laurel was looking at her. “I mean we should probably get in there before Sara and Thea lock us into like a 4 movie marathon and guilt you into staying.”

“Oh god, you’re right.”

But before she could follow her phone buzzed in her pocket. 

“I’ll distract them so you can take that,” Laurel winked and made her way out of the kitchen.

She pulled out her phone, expecting Oliver’s name to flash across her screen. But instead it was Alena.

“Hey,” she greeted, trying to keep her voice down. Thea Queen was not above taking one’s phone and shutting it off mid-call. “Now’s kinda a bad time.”

“You’re at home?”

“Or in a highly detailed simulation,” she teased. “Why did you not expect me to be?”

“No it’s just,” Alena paused. “There was this weird code out of Pennytown, and it kinda looked similar to yours. So I called to see if you needed some help with a hack. But you’re not in Pennytown.”

“Nope,” she replied. “Was the hack dangerous? Should I be worried?”

“Not really,” Alena replied and she could already sense her losing the hacker to her keyboard. “Sorry to bug you on your night off.”

“I’m just hanging with friends,” then she winced. “I should have invited you.”

“Do not even worry about me. I’m much better alone with my Netflix queue.”

“Alena seriously, you’re making me feel worse,” she couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Come over. We have plenty of food, and my friend Thea is probably about to pick out some 90s romcom classics. You could use a night away from your computer screen.”

“You don’t have to include me in your friend things Felicity.”

“The offer is disappearing in, three, two--”

“Okay, I’ll be over in twenty minutes,” Alena cut in with a laugh. “I could use a decompress from all this coding.”

“And tomorrow we can look over that hack you saw.”

“I’m sure I was overreacting. But if you insist,” she paused and Felicity heard the laptop close. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Bye.”

“That better not have been Ollie.”

Thea’s voice made her jump as she turned to face her. “Don’t sneak up on people.”

“We said no phones.”

“That was my friend Alena, she’s coming over,” Felicity said as she powered down her phone and set it on the table. “See?”

“Fair enough,” Thea linked their arms. “But are you telling me you have friends outside of me?”

“Only one or two.”

“Good, you know how jealous us Queen’s get.”

“Don’t I know it.”

But as they walked into the living room Felicity couldn’t help but focus on her call with Alena. There’s no way someone was out there using her code, that’s for sure. But how could Alena mistake the two. She knew the math on it being a coincidence was slim, too slim to chance. And Felicity could feel the mystery begin to rise. She knew this would only end with her following it down whatever rabbit hole it took her to until she learned the truth. But that would be tomorrow’s problem, along with Tommy. She had a feeling things were about to pick back up in her life.

\---

Tommy was uneasy as he packed up the few belongings he’d brought with him to Nanda Parbat.  The kill from the day before had already settled into his system. Tommy could feel it like a wall going up between his head and the bloodlust.  He hated the last co- the way his focus drifted until all he could think about was killing, the anger that rose and flared making his veins feel like they were filled with venom, the blind rage that gripped him, making him feel like he was no longer in control of his own body.

But Nyssa had found the Lotus.  Could he finally rid himself of the effects of the Pit?  Could he finally go home for good?

Heaving a sigh, Tommy pulled his bag up onto his shoulder and glanced around the room.  He wouldn’t be sorry to put this place in his rearview, even if he appreciated them teaching him how to control the bloodlust.  He reminded himself again who he was doing this for- Laurel and Thea, Ollie and Felicity and Lyla. He needed the people he cared for to be safe, even around him.  Especially around him. And learning how to control the bloodlust was helpful, but it wasn’t what he was looking for. What Tommy needed was the Lotus, the cure.

A knock sounded on the door and Tommy turned, pulling it open to reveal Nyssa on the other side.

“Are you ready to depart?” she asked, a bag of her own hoisted on her shoulder.  She was out of her gear, but no less menacing in her black leather pants, the black top criss crossed with leather straps and buckles.

“I am,” Tommy answered, raising a brow.  “You sure you don’t want to wear something a little less… conspicuous?”

Nyssa rolled her eyes.  “I do not appreciate the fashion advice,” she said flatly.  “Besides, it was this or my uniform.”

“Yeah, you don’t get out much, do you?”

When she glanced at him again, it was with veiled contempt, but there was something hidden beneath it.  Something that made Tommy wonder if he’d hit a nerve, either because she resented being stuck at Nanda Parbat all her life, or because the woman she loved was half a world away.  He almost mentioned Sara, almost called Nyssa out on the fact that she could see Sara when they got back to Starling if she wanted. But he’d seen the way Nyssa fought, and he wasn’t ready for that kind of smackdown right in that moment, so he kept his mouth firmly shut.

“The Demonshead has requested your presence before we leave,” Nyssa answered.

“So glad that’s not ominous,” Tommy said with a wavering grin.

“I shall bring you to him.” She spun on her heel and headed out of the room.

Tommy gave the small chamber a final glance over for anything he may have missed.  His eyes snagged on the bedside table, where a framed picture of Laurel sat, and he strode across to retrieve it, placing it into his bag and zipping it closed before rushing to catch up to Nyssa.

Ra’s al Ghul sat at the head of a long table in a room Tommy hadn’t been in before.  Every other seat was empty and Nyssa moved to stand at her father’s side, leaving Tommy standing awkwardly in the doorway.

“Come,” Ra’s said, gesturing to the seat on his left.

He’d been alone with the head of the League before, and under far more dire circumstances, considering Ra’s wanted to kill him the moment he’d stepped in the door, but somehow Tommy felt like the further he got into the room, the less likely he was to come back out again.

But Tommy tamped down the fear humming through his brain and did as he was instructed.  He still hadn’t figured out the man that sat before him, and Waller wouldn’t be pleased with the miniscule intel he’d gathered over the last several weeks.  Even if he’d told her that wasn’t why he was there, he’d still hoped to at least have something to bring back, something worth her efforts of getting him there.

“Nyssa has told me of your plans to seek out the Lotus.  A fool’s errand if I ever heard one,” Ra’s scoffed. “The Crescent Order was exterminated decades ago.  But she will speak of nothing else, and I can not have word of this falsehood spreading throughout Nanda Parbat.”

“Father, it is not--”

“Enough, Nyssa!” Ra’s bellowed, slamming his fist down onto the table.  “I have given you the time you requested. But I will hear not another word about it.”

Tommy swallowed hard, eyes shifting from Nyssa to her father and back again.  At his side, Tommy’s hands balled into fists, almost of their own volition. But he didn’t dare speak up on her behalf, he knew she’d probably kill him if he tried.  She’d tried to kill him for less. Half of Tommy’s mouth ticked up in an almost imperceptible smirk at the memory of their first meeting in the airport of Hub City. But then he sobered again, finding Ra’s’ eyes on him.

“ Wahid Airtafae, you have much still to learn,” Ra’s said, steepling his hands in front of him on the table.  “And I will not deny the promise I see in you. So much like your--”

“Don’t,” Tommy said, eyes falling closed.  “I’m nothing like him.”

“You are,” the man confirmed.  “The less you fight it, the further you will go.”

“I’m assuming this isn’t a going away party,” Tommy said, ire clawing its way up from inside him.  “So am I free to go or did you find another deadbeat since the last one I killed?”

“Do not mock the ways of the League, boy.”

“Speaking of people having things in common with my father,” Tommy deadpanned.  “You’re starting to sound an awful lot like him.”

Ra’s inhaled and exhaled slowly, and six guards stepped into the room from the open doorways around it.  Tommy felt himself swallow hard.

“All the talent in the world cannot atone for a lack of couth,” Ra’s said, eying Tommy hard again.  The man’s jaw was clenched in anger or frustration- perhaps a mix of the two. “You would do well to remember who you are speaking to.”  Without so much as a gesture, the guards unsheathed their swords at their sides. “I will not remind you again.”

“Really not a going away party then,” Tommy breathed, almost silently.

“No, it is not,” Ra’s confirmed.  “Unruly mouth aside, you have impressed me these last several weeks, Wahid Airtafae.”

Tommy had to keep his mouth clamped shut and closed his eyes to keep from rolling them.  The moniker had caught on with many of the League members, and when he’d asked Nyssa about it, she’d explained that it meant the Risen One.  For centuries, the Lazarus Pit had been used to heal wounds and turn back the hands of time, but none of that compared to what the water had done to Tommy- literally bringing him back from death.  It was why the bloodlust was so strong, why the need to take another life pulsed like his own lifeforce in his veins.

“With  Taer al Asfar gone, we have use for someone with knowledge of the Western world.  Someone who can slip into situations unnoticed.”

“Not really interested in a job,” Tommy said, attempting to keep his tone neutral.  He didn’t want to give those guards any reason to come after him, and although he could take down one or two on his own, six would definitely best him.  “But I do appreciate the offer, and everything you’ve done for me here. Even if my lack of couth would lead you to assume otherwise.”

“I shall give you until Nyssa returns to decide.  You may return with her if you wish to join us. Otherwise, any attempt you make to return to Nanda Parbat in the future will be seen as an invasion and will be met swiftly and harshly.”

But he didn’t need the time to decide.  Tommy had no intentions of returning to Nanda Parbat, even if Ra’s al Ghul did help him get his bloodlust in check.  Because once they were done in Japan, Tommy would be cured of the bloodlust forever, and he would have no reason to even think about Nanda Parbat, let alone consider going back.

Laurel’s face flooded his mindseye again, and Tommy found himself steadying into the vision.  Even if she hated him, even if it took years for her to forgive him, Tommy would take it all in stride.  Because she’d be back in his life. He would wear her down, just like he did before. Into talking to him, into forgiving him.  He’d remind her of the love they shared and he’d find a way to make her as happy as she’d always made him.

“Good luck  Wahid Airtafae,” Ra’s said, bowing his head slightly.

That was all the invitation Tommy needed.  He stood from the table, watching as the guards sheathed their swords again and turned, all in unison, and took their posts on the outsides of the doorways.  It was creepy actually, like robots, the way they moved as one.

Nyssa was at his side an instant later, her hand on his elbow, urging him passed the guards, down the hall and toward the door.

“Worried he’s going to change his mind?” Tommy asked.

“Something like that.”

“Hey,” he said, pulling out of her grip.  “It’s fine. No one was injured in the making of this incredibly awkward job offer.”

“Your humor may still be the death of you,” Nyssa said, narrowing her eyes at him.  “You dared speak to the Demonshead that way?”

Tommy shrugged.  “Starting to feel a little more like my old self.  What can I say?”

“You can apologize for one.”

“Isn’t that part of the code or something?  Not to apologize?”

“You are not a League member,” she hissed back.  “The code does not apply to you.”

“I think he was amused.  Even if he didn’t want to admit it.”

Nyssa sighed.  “Half a dozen swords ready to gut you, and you think he was amused.”

Tommy considered that, but didn’t allow himself to dwell on it.  He really was starting to feel like his old self. Whether it was due to what he’d learned during his time in Nanda Parbat, or the giddy feeling inside him at the thought of seeing everyone he loved again.  Maybe some combination of the two.

“Oh, hey did you do that thing I asked you to do?”  They were at the front doors now, and Tommy pushed through to the outside, vast mountains settled both in the distance, and behind the compound they’d just left.

Nyssa nodded, offering him a slip of paper.  It was a receipt from her purchase of an ad in the Paris newspaper.  The one he and Felicity had discussed almost three years ago. If he knew Felicity (and of course he did), he knew she’d have an alert set up for the paper, just in case.  Which meant it really was time. Nyssa had included the time and place of where they could find him. Tommy just hoped that the people he loved weren’t so mad at him that they didn’t show.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys hello. Welcome back! I have missed this. I missed posting and seeing everyone respond to this verse. But I also just missed the story and telling it. Thank you to everyone who commented on chapter one. We are so ready for you guys to see where we take things. But in true wake verse fashion, you know we can't make things easy. So strap in for the ride.
> 
> Muah,   
> Kayla

## 

He drove all night. Taking streets and highways that connected Central City to Starling. Because even though a part of him was tired, he knew he couldn’t sleep after the last couple of days. 

He finally got to meet his son. And it was everything he could have ever wanted it to be. William was the perfect amount of curious and engaging. And the further he drove away, the more it hurt him to do so. He had already spent so much time out of his son’s life that the idea of being further separated didn’t sit right with him. But it was only temporary. He’d be back, as soon as he could manage. And the more they got to know each other, the closer they would become. And one day his son would know the truth. He wanted it more than anything. But there was more than meeting William buzzing in his brain. 

Oliver couldn’t get Tommy out of his head. He couldn’t stop thinking of the last time he saw him, catching the smallest glimpse of his face in the plane window as it pulled away. Or the conflict that had etched into his features at the funeral. He should have seen it coming. He should have done something. But even looking back over the course of events, he didn’t think he would change anything that led up to agreeing to the Lazarus Pit water. Except for taking his place on that rooftop. He would have done anything to spare his best friend from having to kill his own father. Having to look their sister in the eye after that. 

To Thea’s credit, she seemed to be doing pretty well all things considering. He still worried though. He worried about both of them. But at least Thea was close. He could keep an eye on how everything was affecting her. 

He couldn’t blame Tommy for leaving. Not when a lot of his old instincts told him to do the same at times. He couldn’t even blame Waller for helping him, even if he wanted to. The truth was they all saw Tommy crumbling before them and they didn’t try hard enough to help. Felicity had seen it. But he didn’t. And he vowed to himself that when he saw Tommy again he was going to do whatever it took to be there for him.

His phone rang as he parked the bike. But Oliver wasn’t going to answer. Moira had done nothing but call him off and on since the day before, and Oliver didn’t have the energy to call her back. 

He had tried to forgive her, to move past the lies she told. But meeting William, spending time with him, it just reminded him of all the things he missed out on and maybe he wouldn’t have if his mother hadn’t meddled all those years ago.

He had to get upstairs and showered. Then he could meet up with Felicity and go over all the Tommy stuff. He could deal with his mother later. 

He climbed the stairs towards Tommy’s apartment. He figured he would check on the place and shower before heading to the Foundry. After his mother's lies had come out he’d been too angry to go home. Plus they all agreed someone should be at Tommy’s in case he came back. 

Of course once he turned towards the apartment his phone rang again. Ignoring the incessant sound, he unlocked the door and pushed it open. 

“Well at least I know you’re getting my calls.”

He jumped a little at the sound of his mother’s voice, sitting perfectly still on the faded leather couch.

“What the--”

“Is that how you greet people when you enter a room?”

“When they break into an apartment, yes Mom it is,” he dropped his keys by the door and let it close behind him.

She scoffed. “Do I look like a common criminal to you? I didn’t break in, I used your sister’s key to check on things. She said you were out of town.”

“Is that why you’re here, because I was gone?” he set his bag next to the couch and crossed his arms as he looked at her. 

Moira looked so out of place in Tommy’s apartment. He could tell by her body language that she didn’t want to be there. Something about the space made her uneasy. 

“I was hoping I would catch you when you got back,” she replied. “We need to talk.”

“We really don’t.”

“I understand that you’re still angry with me for my indiscretions--”

“You mean your lies.”

She met his gaze for a second but continued. “This is important and it’s not about us.” 

He should tell her to go, but he knew he wouldn’t.  “What is it then?”

“Malcolm’s lawyer has been in contact with me,” she said as she stood from the couch. “With Tommy being unreachable for the last couple months, he hasn’t been around for the company.”

“I don’t think Tommy wants anything to do with the company that his dad used to try and take out half the city.”

“Be that as it may, he owns a portion of it’s shares and if he doesn’t come back soon the board is going to vote to sell their 40% to the highest bidder,” Moira sighed. “I understand that what Malcolm did is unforgivable. And Tommy has every right to hate him for it, but Merlyn Global is his legacy. And turning his back on it, when he could do something good there, will hurt more in the long run.”

He honestly couldn’t believe her. “It’s always about business isn’t it? Tommy’s struggling through this. He barely had his head above the water before he left, and you actually think he’s just gonna come back and dive right into that mess?”

“The company is on the verge of collapse.”

“Then let it. Why the hell do you care so much about the fate of Merlyn Global? It’s not like it has anything to do with us or QC.”

She didn’t say anything but the look on her face told him way more than she ever would.

“You want to acquire MG,” he nodded. “That’s why you want Tommy to come back so he can sign his shares over to you. And then when the board sees that they’re more likely to sell you the rest.”

“Oliver that isn’t what’s happening.”

“Why not? It’s a brilliant plan. Honestly nice business strategy. Bravo.”

“Oliver--”

“Could you just go?  I really don’t want to have this conversation anymore. If I see Tommy I’ll tell him your business proposal,” he gestured to the door. “Please just go.”

She moved towards the door, but turned back to face him. “QC wouldn’t need Tommy’s shares to make an attempt at acquiring Merlyn Global. Malcolm left 30% of them to Tommy, but he left the other 30% to your sister. She says she doesn’t want them, that she wants no part in his company. But I was hoping Tommy would come back and the two of them would try and keep it going. Maybe they want nothing to do with it now, but I don’t want them to have any regrets down the line.”

He watched as she reached for the door, her steps hesitant as she did. He didn’t want this rift between them. He didn’t want to think of her and only feel anger over things that happened so long ago. No matter how fresh those wounds still burned. She was his mother after all.

“Mom,” he said, and she turned again to meet his eyes. 

“Yes?”

“I,” William’s face flooded his mind, and he couldn’t believe how much of him wanted to tell her about his son. She was the reason the last two months had been so hard. But he still felt the words almost slip. “I’ll let Tommy know, about the company. And I’ll try to talk to Thea too.”

But he still couldn’t bring himself to tell her. 

“That’s all I ask. Thank you.” She gave him a half smile. “I should be going, but I’d like it if you came to dinner sometime this week. If you want to say no I understand. But I’d like us to try. You can bring Felicity if you’d like, I always adore seeing her.”

“I’ll think about it,” he said with a sigh. “I’ll get back to you.”

“Okay. We’ll speak soon, then.”

“Bye Mom.”

After she left Oliver found himself sinking into a chair, his eye catching a picture of him and Tommy on the table. 

“I don’t know how you’re gonna take that,” he whispered. “But she might have a point buddy. You need to come home.”

He missed Tommy more than ever before. Maybe it was knowing he was on his way home coupled with not knowing where he’d been. He wondered if this was what it had been like for Tommy and Felicity when he came back last October. If his sudden drop back in their lives, had been met with the same amount of worry and curiosity. Probably. 

He would just have to wait and hope that the Tommy coming back, wanted to be the one who left. Because he could say with experience that sometimes that battle was the hardest to fight.

His phone rang again, and he sighed as he reached for it. Digg’s name flashing across the caller ID.

“Hey, how did you know I just got back?”

“I didn’t,” Digg replied. “I was just hoping.”

“What’s up?”

“We gotta a problem. Meet me at the Foundry in 20 minutes.”

So much for a shower. “What’s the problem?”

“Floyd Lawton.”

\---

“Is it weird that I feel like I do better work here than at Helix?” Alena asked as Felicity eased into the seat across from her at the coffee shop they’d met a couple months earlier.

Felicity shrugged.  “I don’t think it’s weird,” she answered with a smile, pulling her laptop out of her bag and setting it onto the table.  “I just blame it on the coffee magic.”

“Coffee magic?” Alena repeated.

The blonde grinned wide, adjusting her glasses on her nose.  “Coffee is magic in any and all forms.  Obviously being in a place where it’s brewed all day helps.”  At least that’s what Felicity was telling herself.  They’d been meeting at the coffee shop at least once a week since she’d started working for Helix, and Felicity had to agree- she definitely felt like she did better work there than anywhere else.  Well, maybe anywhere except the Foundry.  But that had a different magic of its own.

Felicity felt her cheeks burn at the thought of Oliver working out down there, and turned before Alena could catch sight of her blush.

“Thanks again for inviting me over last night,” Alena said, pausing to look up from her computer screen.  “It isn’t often that I get time away from a computer screen.”

“It was fun,” Felicity agreed.  “I’ll be right back,” she said, grabbing her wallet and heading for the short line at the front of the building near the register.  

The ambient noise of the place, mixed with the general sense of exhaustion that seemed to plague Felicity every morning before a good jolt of caffeine, lulled her into a bit of a daze.  At least until the man in line behind her caught her attention.  She couldn’t see him, only hear the conversation he was having on his phone.  Even keeping his voice hushed, they were in close enough proximity that she could hear almost every word.  And there was something about it that caused her mind to snag.  She recognized him, even from his voice.  But how?

“I’m not in the habit of being summoned before I’ve been given a job,” he seethed into the phone.  “Besides, you know the history I have here…. No, I’m not going to hole myself up in a motel room until you decide I’m worth your time.  You either get me on a job, or I’m leaving.”

Felicity swallowed hard, panic surging within her.  But why?  Felicity didn’t sense that she was in any immediate danger, aside from maybe being spit on considering how angry the guy seemed.  Even still, subconsciously she knew that she was forgetting something. That she should know who this man was.  She dared a glance over her shoulder and froze.  One glance was all it took to put the pieces together.

Floyd Lawton.

She’d seen his face on her computer screens enough last fall to know him by sight, and had listened to countless phone calls of his that Tommy had found in ARGUS archives.  So her subconscious was right to be terrified.  If Deadshot was back in town, and looking for a job, then things were about to go really, really wrong.  Thankfully he hadn’t seen her glance at him, so she forced herself to stay calm at least long enough to order her coffee.  She didn’t want to tip him off that she recognized him.  Deadshot had built an entire mercenary empire on hiding in plain sight and no one knowing his true identity.  Besides, she had no protection there, and she had nothing at all to bargain with.

No, better to act as normal as possible, and get to Oliver and Diggle as quickly as she could.

Her hands trembled when they called her coffee order and she stumbled back to the table.

“Whoa there, Killer,” Alena said, a smile in her voice.

“What?!” Felicity whispered harshly.  “What do you know?”

Alena frowned.  “That you’re acting super weird right now.  I just meant be careful you don’t spill your coffee all over this beautiful tech and ruin it.”  She paused and then said.  “What am I missing here?”

Felicity shook her head, setting her coffee down on the table.  “Nothing,” she said, tapping against the keyboard on her computer nervously.  “Too much java on an empty stomach I think,” she gave Alena an uneasy smile and then glanced over her shoulder to see if Lawton was still in the building.  She didn’t notice him anywhere.  “Listen, I’m actually not feeling that great.  Mind if I meet back up with you later?”

“But I thought you blocked out the morning so we could trace that hack?”

The blonde cleared her throat.  “I did,” she said, glancing down at the way her hands still shook.  She wrapped them around her coffee cup in an attempt to calm herself.  It didn’t work.  “I just… I have to go.  I’m really sorry.”

“Felicity, what’s going on?”

But Felicity was already pushing her computer into her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.  She couldn’t give Alena an explanation.  Not one that would satisfy the woman who was about as curious and eager to investigate things as Felicity was herself.  So instead she offered Alena another weak smile and disappeared into the crowd.

She made her way quickly to her car, getting in and locking the doors before finally breathing a small sigh of relief.  Not that the windows would do much of anything to protect her from a sharp shooter whose claim to fame was that he never missed a target- but it still somehow made her feel a little safer.

As Felicity drove the streets of the Glades, she found herself wondering who would bring Deadshot back to their city.  And for what purpose?  Last year he’d been contracted to take out bidders in the UNIDAC auction, but there was nothing so high profile going on this year.  Not with the media still riled up about Malcolm’s device, Tommy disappearing, and the destruction of the blocks downtown in the immediate vicinity of where Merlyn Global once stood.

She thought back to the conversation she’d overheard.  Lawton was summoned, but hadn’t been given a target yet.  So whoever contracted with the mercenary, their plans weren’t set in stone yet.  Which meant the team still had time to find out what was going on before anyone was in danger.  Felicity just hoped it was time enough.

Pulling into the parking lot at Verdant, Felicity was surprised to find Oliver’s bike there.  She knew he was coming back this morning, but considering he’d driven through the night to make it back to Starling, she assumed he’d be getting at least some sleep before jumping back into things at the club and Foundry.

The engine to the bike was still ticking, cooling down as she made her way passed it, and a smile spread across her face when she pulled the door open and found him only a few steps ahead of her.

“Hey you,” she said.

Oliver turned, changing direction and heading for her.  He pulled her tight into his arms, exhaling deeply as they embraced.  Felicity loved the feeling of him relaxing against her.  She knew how much of his life the last few years had been spent on constant guard, and if she could grant him even a moment's reprieve from that, she’d gladly do it.

“Hey back,” he murmured into her hair.  “Didn’t expect to see you here.”  He released her, meeting her eyes and she knew he could already see that something was wrong.  Oliver was just  _ that _ perceptive when it came to her.  “What’s wrong?”

“Floyd Lawton,” she said, barely above a whisper.

“Yeah, Diggle called me and I came right in.”

Felicity’s eyes snapped up to meet his.  “How does Digg know?”

Oliver quirked a brow in response.  “How do you?”

“Because he was behind me in line for coffee this morning.  And no, I’m not joking.  But I wish that I was.”  She shuddered, remembering the feeling of being that close to the man that almost claimed Diggle’s life the year before.  “But if Diggle knows what’s going on, we should get downstairs.  Because if Deadshot is back, this city is about to get a lot more chaotic.”

“Chaotic?” A female voice sounded from down the hall.  Sara’s head poked out, a devilish grin on her face.  “I love chaos.”

Felicity smiled, grateful for a break in the tension.  The three of them made their way down the stairs, where Diggle was waiting, seated in her desk chair.  He gave her a curious look.

“Aren’t you at Helix today?” Diggle asked, standing from her seat.

“That was the plan,” Felicity said, sitting down and immediately pulling up traffic cameras from the area around the coffee shop.  It didn’t take her long to find what she was looking for- a clear, crisp image of the man they were all there to discuss.  She enlarged the image for them all to see.  “But I hear we’ve got bigger fish to fry.”

Diggle cleared his throat as Felicity clicked through the images, her own likeness showing up just moments after Lawton left the establishment.  “Looks like you’ve got more to go on than I do” John said, eyebrows raised.

“I don’t know about that,” Felicity said, spinning around in her chair to face them all.  “But he was behind me in line for coffee this morning.  Someone summoned him here but hasn’t given him a target yet.”

“That’s good news,” Sara said, crossing her arms over her chest.  “Let’s find where he’s holed up and take him out.”

“My sentiments exactly,” Diggle agreed.

“That’s all well and good,” Felicity answered.  “But shouldn’t we also figure out who hired him?  Shooting the messenger, no pun intended, won’t change the message.  Whoever hired him will just find someone else to do their dirty work if Lawton is out of the picture.”

Oliver nodded.  “Do you think you can trace the phone call?”

She shook her head.  “It looked like a burner.  But if we can find him, we can see if maybe he’ll lead us to whoever hired him.  Or at least get the phone off of him so we can contact them ourselves.”

“We’ll take it one step at a time,” Oliver said.  “First things first, finding where he’s staying.  If he was at the coffee shop this morning and he’s keeping a low profile, he’s probably staying somewhere close.  Any way to narrow it down for us?  Or are we going to have to door to door?”

“I’m insulted you even have to ask.  And FYI, I am  _ so _ finding a new coffee shop after this.”  She shuddered again, fingers typing away as she spoke.  “Can’t believe my second favorite magic workplace has been so violated.”

“Your what?” Oliver asked, a grin on his face.

“That’s not important,” Felicity said.  She hated when her mouth ran away without her brain.  “And please don’t ask--”

“What’s the first favorite?” Sara chriped.

“---that.” Felicity said, closing her eyes briefly.  “I’d rather not say if it’s all the same to you.”  She glanced up at Sara, who’s devilish grin had returned.

Sara shrugged.  “I’m guessing it’s wherever Oliver is doing the salmon ladder shirtless,” she said with a wink.  “But that’s just me.”

Felicity’s cheeks went hot and she threw Sara a deathglare.  But that just made Sara laugh.  At least Thea wasn’t there to witness.  And all Oliver did was place a quick kiss on the top of Felicity’s head, before heading toward where Diggle had taken up residence with one of the training dummies.

It had been a mostly quiet two months since Tommy had left.  But with his plane landing in just a few short hours, and the return of Floyd Lawton, Felicity had a feeling that the quiet was long gone now.  She felt guilty for the next thought that ran across her brain.  But she would give up the quiet, the lack of major illegal activity in their city, if it meant getting Tommy back.  There wasn’t much she wouldn’t do for him.

A beep sounded on her computer, pulling her attention back.  “Hey guys,” she said, as she narrowed down the search parameters.  “I think I’ve got something.

The trip to the ARGUS drop spot in Kathmandu hadn’t been an easy one. Nyssa’s reputation coiled after her as they descended from Nanda Parbat. That or her father’s. Either way Tommy found too many people wanted to challenge them on the trip.

Tommy avoided killing, as much as his blood sang for it. He fought with a ruthlessness that would have impressed him if it hadn’t been for the anger flashing inside. But between him and Nyssa they had disposed of their threats swiftly. 

He needed to get going.

As soon as they had gotten far enough away from Nanda Parbat, Tommy had pulled out his SAT phone and signaled ARGUS to be ready with a plane. He didn’t want to stay on the continent for any longer than he needed to. 

“You seem troubled,” Nyssa said as they skirted along the outer edge of a small village. If the last place had taught them anything it was not to mingle with town folk. “Has he returned since your last battle?”

He had hesitated telling Nyssa about Malcolm's voice in his head. He didn’t need anyone looking at him like he was crazy. But she never seemed to. In fact she understood better than he thought she would.

“There’s only me up here,” he tapped his temple with a smirk. “Don’t worry about me.”

“I do not worry for you, I worry for those you will be around before we get the Lotus. Myself included.”

“That’s more like it.”

“Why must you view everything with such indifference that your only resort is to make a joke?”

“My abysmal upbringing probably,” he countered. But thinking about his childhood also brought on the good memories. The ones that used to make him feel comfort when everything else was dark. Until of course the only parental figure he had left looked at him like he was only destined to be his father. 

“It is astounding the pit waters even worked on someone so…”

“Someone so what?”

“So out of step with who he is.”

It stung a little, and he refused to admit it. Nyssa wasn’t  a friend. She wasn’t going to stand there and sugarcoat things so Tommy could deal with them. The only thing she ever promised him was a way to rid him of the bloodlust. And that was only because she got him into this mess in the first place.

“I know who I am,” he bristled, focusing on the path ahead of them. They were close. The place they were looking for was just over the next ridge, and he couldn’t wait to be one step closer to being done with Nyssa al Ghul.

“Do you?” she raised a brow in amusement. Funny he didn’t think she found anything amusing. “Because from what I can see, you shred yourself instead of facing the reality of what’s a part of you.”

“The only reason this bloodlust is  _ a part _ of me, is because of you. Remember?” he turned to her and shrugged. “So the way I see it, the faster we move the sooner we’re out of each other’s lives.”

“I wasn’t speaking of the effects of the Pit,” she replied, unfazed by his words as they kept walking. “I was speaking of Merlyn, and the effect he has over you.”

“My father’s voice is because of the Pit.”

“I have seen the Pit do many things Tommy,” her voice dropped, low and reverent in a way that was completely attuned with who she was. “But it has never brought ghosts to someone’s head or heart. Your father follows you because you have yet to let him go. And I fear no amount of Lotus will help with that.”

Tommy wanted to argue with her, he had a retort poised and ready to go. But something stopped him in his tracks. He could feel it in the air, something,  _ someone _ , was watching them. 

Nyssa had stopped too, almost at the same time, and her hand came to hover at her belt where, he knew, a rather impressive, damascus blade rested. 

Tommy waited to draw a weapon. It could have been a villager, it could have been an animal on the prowl. But something about it felt far too familiar for all that.

Before he could really process, a figure dropped from a tree, a handgun raised and pointed directly at Nyssa’s chest. His hand had already reached for his gun at his side, but he didn't draw it. Not when he saw  _ who _ stood before him.

“Lyla?” 

She didn’t lower her weapon, and by this point Nyssa had unsheathed her blade and held it up to glint in the midday sun. The two looked ready to take each other down if need be.

“Easy there killers,” he joked, moving to stand between them. “We’re all friends here.”

“Friends?” Lyla questioned at the same second Nyssa scoffed. “We’re friendly with the League now?”

“What are you doing here?” He couldn’t believe it. He had actually zero ideas of how Lyla had found them. 

“Did you really think Felicity would be the only one checking on your little Paris paper? I may not be a genius like her, but you’re not exactly subtle.”

He could hug her. God he hadn’t even realized how much he had missed his partner and friend until that very moment. 

Lyla holstered her weapon and he moved in to do just that, to hug someone he missed more than words. But as soon as he stepped close enough, Lyla’s fist flew into his cheek and he was knocked down.

“Damn it, what the hell Lyla?”

“That,” she said, not phased by Nyssa still holding the blade out. “Was for up and leaving and only telling Waller.”

So maybe she wasn’t as happy to see him as he was to see her. 

“That’s fair,” he groaned as he stood again. He gave her a look. “You gonna hit me again?”

“I haven’t decided,” she replied, but pulled him into a tight hug. “And this is for being alive when I found you.”

“Missed you too partner,” he pulled back with a grin. “Thank you for coming.”

She rolled her eyes. “You get into too much trouble on your own.”

“Don’t I know it,” he chuckled. “But Waller just let you come?”

“Not exactly,” she said, then slid her gaze to Nyssa who looked to be admiring her blade. “What’s she doing here?”

“She’s with me,” he answered, which earned him a glare from both women. “I meant she’s traveling with me, to Starling.”

“Why?”

“That is hardly your business,” Nyssa had returned her blade to her belt. Looking at Lyla she smiled in appraisal. “So she is the reason you have yet to die working for a place as dastardly as ARGUS?”

“Yes, the government funded organization is dastardly, and what the League of Assassins is a tennis club?”

“I am not here on League business,” she said, her gaze focusing on the ridge behind them. “I shall finish repaying my debt and I will be on my way. Not before and not a moment after that.”

“Is she talking about the Pit?” Lyla asked meeting his eyes. “What happened to you the last two months?”

“It’s a long story,” he pulled her off to the side. Partly to speak in private, but even more so because of the volatile solution the pair were proving to be near each other. “Lyla if Waller didn’t send you, what are you doing here?”

She gave him a look that kind of looked like she wanted to punch him again. But instead she said. “You were gone for two months, Tommy. We didn’t know… No one knew if you’d come back.”

“I know, and I’m sor--”

“I didn't come for an apology,” she cut him off with a glare. “I saw you were headed back, and I left my junior partner, who by the way sucks at his job, in Bludhaven to finish tracking the lead we were on.”

“Waller’s gonna be pissed when she hears that.”

“I don’t give a shit,” she took a deep breath, giving him a lazy smile. “You’re my partner. And no matter what, I’m always on your side. Even when you do something incredibly stupid like becoming best friends with a member of the League.”

“We’re hardly besties,” he countered, but it earned him a smirk. “She’s helping me with one last thing, and then I can come home for good.”

“Okay,” she nodded. “I will take your word for it. But that doesn’t mean I have to trust her.”

“You wouldn’t be you if you did.” he looked at her again, the ache for his life growing strong again. “I really am glad you came.”

“Someone had to watch your back,” she said, then nodded towards the drop spot. “We should get going.”

“You flying us back to civilization Michaels?”

“And miss the chance of getting you to tell me exactly what the hell you’ve been up to for two months? Not a chance,” she began walking and he had to follow. “We have to use the ARGUS pilot unless we want a firing squad on the ground when we get back.”

“That sounds like the proper Waller greeting.”

“Seriously though Merlyn,” she grabbed for his arm and pulled him to a stop. “I want answers, and if you need to wait until you run them by your family first, I get that.”

_ Family.  _ His brain conjured exactly who she meant by that. Oliver. Felicity. Thea.  _ Laurel. _ They each flashed and lingered in his mind. He owed them all so much. But he had to earn his way back to them. He knew that before he even made it home. 

“You’re my family too,” he whispered, giving her a smile. “But yeah, I want to talk to Ollie and Felicity first.”

“I get it.”

He was glad she did. Because he didn’t think anyone else in her position would. But that’s what he loved most about Lyla. There were never games with his partner. Just the truth. And as much as he could feel his hand begin to shake, and the low hiss of Malcolm’s presence gaining life once more, he felt like he was finally on his way to mending the cracks that formed so many months ago.

\---


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies!
> 
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Diggle and Sara had offered to check out the address that Felicity had found.  An apartment not far from the coffee shop that had been rented three days ago for the next six months, in cash.  As much as Oliver was ready to get back into the swing of things in Starling, he was grateful for their offer to look into it.  It meant he got a few minutes alone with Felicity. And Oliver would never say no to that.

When they were alone in the bunker, Oliver came to stand behind her at the computer bank, his hands instinctively moving to her shoulders.  Felicity moaned a little at his touch, rolling her neck from side to side. It sent a flare of white-hot heat coursing through him instantly.  He’d missed Felicity, even only being gone to Central City a couple of days. He just hadn’t realized exactly how much. 

“Are we doing the right thing?” he asked suddenly.  He hadn’t planned on asking, but the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

Felicity turned her chair to face him.  “You mean not telling the others?”

He nodded.

“I think it’s better to keep it under wraps for now.  Especially from Thea and Laurel. Because what if…” Her voice trailed off, and Oliver was lying if he said he hadn’t been thinking it too.

“What if he isn’t actually coming,” he finished for her.  He thought about it a moment. Because of course there was the chance, but would Tommy do that?  Would he go through the trouble of putting the note in the Paris paper and get their hopes up, just to not show?  He couldn’t picture Tommy doing that. But he couldn’t picture him up and leaving like he’d done two months ago either.  So maybe Oliver wasn’t the best judge.

“It would crush them,” Felicity said.  And he wondered if she realized how much it would crush her too.  It was written all over her face, laced through every word she spoke.

Oliver nodded in agreement.  He’d seen how Tommy leaving had affected Thea and Laurel.  It broke his heart to think that it was the same thing he’d done to everyone he loved five years earlier.  Not that he’d been able to control the Gambit going down, but he hadn’t been vigilant in contacting his loved ones the first chance he got.  He’d let them all think he was still dead- at least until Tommy came looking for him. Tommy, who never gave up on him. Oliver sighed. He might not understand all of what was going on with his friend- but he understood the need to be away from the people he loved.  He felt it, bone deep, the unyielding urge to protect his loved ones from the thing he’d become. The thing that those five years had turned him into.

And even though Felicity had pulled him out of the worst of it, there would always be times when Oliver needed to shield them from himself.  Perhaps he and Tommy had that in common now.

“Hey,” Felicity said, her hand on his arm.

Oliver blinked, clearing his thoughts and looking down at her.

“Where’d you go?” she asked gently.  “You got all broody all of a sudden.”

“Nowhere,” he said, swallowing hard.  “Just thinking about Tommy and why he left.”

“You’re thinking it’s what you would have done too?”  She stood, wrapping her arms around his middle. “It’s okay.  I know you well enough by now to recognize that look in your eye.”

At that, Oliver smirked.  He couldn’t help it. “Oh yeah?  What look is that?”

“The one where you’re contemplating a tough decision.  The one where you’d sacrifice your own happiness to protect others.”

His heart squeezed a little in his chest.  “Have I told you today how amazing you are?” he asked, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“Today?  Not that I can recall,” she said, burying her head in his chest as she pulled herself tighter against him.  “I missed you by the way. Even if it was only a couple of days.”

“I missed you too,” he said, exhaling fully, letting the tension melt from his limbs as he held her.  He didn’t know how or why it was like that with them, how he could relax so completely when she was near him.  But after years of being on guard 24/7, Oliver wasn’t complaining.

“Ugh, can you two get a room already?” Thea’s voice called from the back door.

Oliver glanced over Felicity’s head to see his sister entering the Foundry, her normal chic wardrobe replaced with yoga pants and a tight tank top.  “Considering I own the place, we kind of already had one. Until you barged in.” He narrowed his eyes. “Headed to the gym?”

“Sort of,” Thea said, looking like she’d just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.  “I was supposed to meet Sara here. And we weren’t expecting you back in the building until later.”

“What are you meeting Sara for?”  And then, “Speedy, no.”

She shrugged.  “It’s not what you think.  I just want to be able to--” she paused, crossing her arms over her chest.  “Actually, it is exactly what you think. I want in. This city needs protecting, and I could be useful on the team.”

Oliver disentangled himself from Felicity.  “That is not going to happen.”

“Besides which,” she continued.  “I already signed up for archery and self defense as my gym electives this quarter.  So even if you don’t want to train me, it’s not going to stop me from learning.”

“Umm--” Felicity cut in and both sibling’s eyes turned to her.  “Hate to interrupt Queen family fight time, but we may have another problem on our hands.”  She pointed to the computer screen in front of her, where a figure was meandering around the alleyway that led to the back entrance of the bunker. 

“Is that…” Oliver began.

“My boyfriend,” Thea finished for him with a huff.  “I don’t believe this.” She turned on her heel and headed for the door.

“Speedy!”

“I’ll take care of it, Ollie,” she called back over her shoulder.  She paused, and then pushed out into the small garage that doubled as a storage cellar and Oliver and Felicity watched as Thea picked up a case of empty liquor bottles before moving outside.

Oliver moved closer toward the screen.  “Your cameras don’t have audio, do they?”

Felicity barked a laugh.  “Big brother is always watching,” she said.  And then laughed again. “You get it? Like 1984 but also because you’re her--”

He assumed his face was screwed into a look of disapproval, because she cut off mid-sentence.  But the look wasn’t for her. It was for Thea and her apparent deathwish. What was Sara thinking, training his sister behind his back?  And part of the team? Thea couldn’t be serious. She was still a kid, still the one that needed protecting. How could she-- 

“Roy, what are you doing here?”  Oliver’s thoughts were cut off as Thea’s words echoed through the empty space.

“Thea?” Roy questioned.

She moved away from the building, the empty bottles clinking together as she lugged them toward the dumpster a few yards away.

“Yeah,” she said, keeping her tone neutral, even if some annoyance was slipping in.  “Did you follow me to the club?”

“The club…” he repeated slowly.

Something wasn’t adding up here.  Oliver didn’t know what was going on, but he was on alert just the same.  Even if Thea trusted Roy, Oliver hadn’t gotten to know him well enough to be anything but suspicious of the hoodlum.  On the screen, Roy pushed his red hoodie down off his head.

“Roy what’s going on?” Thea said, reaching the dumpster and tipping the box of bottles inside.

“Sorry I… I wasn’t following you.  I got a tip that I was tracking down about the Hood.”

Thea went rigid.  “Again with the Hood nonsense?” she said dismissively.

Again?  Oliver’s eyes narrowed.  What did Roy know about him, and why was he so curious?

“The guy’s doing good in the Glades,” Roy said with a shrug.  “Him and that woman. What are they calling her? Canary?” He sighed.  “It probably sounds stupid to you, because you’ve spent your whole life feeling safe.  But for a kid who grew up in the Glades? No one ever gave a shit about keeping my neighborhood safe.  Not the cops, not the politicians. No one. Not until him.”

Thea took a few steps toward him, hooking her arms around him.  “It doesn’t sound stupid,” she said. And it was so quiet that Oliver barely made the words out.  Whatever she said next was lost on him, and he averted his eyes, feeling like the moment was private between his sister and her boyfriend.

Felicity cleared her throat beside him.  “So… how about those Starling City Rockets?” she asked.

Oliver smiled, despite the circumstances, and then eyed her carefully.  “Felicity…” he said slowly.

“Hmm?” she hummed.

“You spend more time down here than most of us.”

She stiffened beside him.  “Do I?”

“It seems unlikely that Sara could have been training Thea down here without someone who spends so much time down here noticing.”

“Self defense is a useful tool to have for a woman in this day and age,” she said.  “Especially someone who works in a club in the Glades and is just barely eighteen.”

“Felicity…” he said again.

“Oh sue me,” she cried.  “I knew about it and I didn’t tell you.  But Oliver, you have no idea what it did to her, being down here when we were all working to stop Malcolm.  Me, I’m down here and I’m doing more for you guys than I could ever do out on the streets. But Thea doesn’t feel that way.  How could she, when she’s watching helplessly from the sidelines while you’re all risking your lives to protect Starling.”

“Felicity.”  He turned to face her now, pulling her hands against his chest.  “I don’t want there to be anything that we can’t tell each other.”

“Technically, this was not my thing to tell.  And I don’t want to bring up the whole your secret from Tommy slash his secret from you thing- but I think we all learned a very important lesson that day and I knew that Thea would talk to you about it when she was ready.”

Oliver sighed heavily.  It was clear he was not going to win that particular argument.  And he would have plenty of time to discuss with Thea how and when she might be allowed onto the team.  He glanced at the clock. 

“Digg and Sara should be back soon,” he said, changing the topic altogether.  “We probably should head out before they get here, unless we want to tell them why we’re heading to the airport.”

Felicity nodded, taking a deep breath of her own.  He knew what she was thinking. Because he was thinking it too.  It was time to find out exactly what their best friend had been up to for the last two months.

\---

She tapped out a beat against her legs as Oliver drove them across town. As much as she would have been fine with taking the bike. Oh how she adored the bike. He thought it would be best to take the car. Which was also fine. She got to stare at him this way.

“Yes?” he teased when her gaze had landed on him a few too many times. 

“What?”

“You know it’s distracting when you watch me that way,” he took her hand in his has they continued to drive.

“Are you saying a tough, vigilante like yourself, can’t focus on the road when someone’s watching them?”

“Not when that someone is you,” he replied with a smile. “What’s on your mind?”

She shrugged, but knowing Oliver he wouldn’t let it go that easily. The problem was she was still working on it. She hadn’t formed the full train of thought, in regards to her concerns. Especially over Tommy coming back. So instead she shifted focus.

“How was Central City?”

That’s when a different smile fell to his face. This one, she somehow knew would be the one reserved for William.  _ His son. _ She still could hardly believe it. Even though she did extensive searches to prove the information true. She couldn’t let him get hurt over any of this. And all it really took was one look at the kid to know it. He looked so much like Oliver.

“He’s amazing, Felicity,” he said in an almost reverent whisper. “He’s so smart, and funny. And I just… I can’t believe that he’s mine. You know?”

She nodded, pulling his hand close enough for her to kiss the back. “He’s a lucky kid, to have you in his life. I would know.”

“I’m the lucky one,” he took his hand back only long enough to turn into the empty lot. “Seriously though, I can’t wait for you to meet him.”

Something stuck in the air when he said it, like he hadn’t really considered the words before he spoke life into them.

“Not that you have to meet him, if you don’t want to. I get that this is all around not a typical situation for any of us.”

“Oliver.”

“Yeah?” he glanced at her with a nervous grin.

“I would love to meet him,” she replied with a smile. “Someday, provided that Samantha is cool with that. I know how protective single mothers can be. And I wouldn’t want her to feel weird.”

“Right, yeah,” but he was beaming at the thought of it. She could tell. “We have aways to go before that. But it’s good to know we’re on the same page.”

It wasn’t the first time the thought had crossed her mind, not by a long shot, but watching Oliver in that moment she couldn’t help but feel the intensity of it. She could marry him. She knew it to her core. If he asked, even though they technically just started dating, she knew she’d say yes. 

“I love you,” she whispered, but he still met her eyes.

“And I love you,” he said back taking her hand in his again. 

As he put the car in park, Felicity took a look around. The air strip across the way was deserted, and Felicity hadn’t realized until that moment she had been expecting to see someone else there. 

“No Waller,” she mused as they got out of the car. “I assumed, considering she was there when he left.”

“Doesn’t mean she doesn’t know he’s on his way back,” Oliver groaned. “Let’s just be happy for small miracles.”

“Yeah,” she rounded the car, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

He kissed her, and all thoughts of Waller washed away. And all she felt was his hands pressed into her back, and his lips moving over hers, and the warmth between the two of them.

“Tell me about you?” he asked when they, reluctantly, broke apart. “Anything happen while I was away?”

“Other than some two-bit hacker trying to use my code for whatever reason?” she threw it out with a scoff, as she settled her feet back to the ground, and stood next to him. “Nothing much.”

“Two-bit hacker?”

“Yeah, Alena said she saw something that looked like my code pop up last night while I was at home. It’s probably nothing.”

“Probably?”

“Don’t do that,” she warned as she leaned against his shoulder. “This is not a vigilante problem, it’s a Helix problem. It might not even be a Helix problem. I’ll look into it.”

“Why can’t a Helix problem also be my problem? Why does there have to be a divide?”

She really didn’t want to have this conversation. “We talked about this.”

“We never really reached the end of it though,” he said, shifting so they had to face each other. “I don’t like it. Okay I know you said everything for the most part was on the up and up, but it still feels off to me.”

“Oliver, Helix is my thing, the hacking, the computer geeks roaming around, it’s literally my dream work environment. Considering my last job crumbled, building included,” she put her hand on his chest and took a deep breath. “I know it’s weird, and it’s probably not the best of jobs I could be doing with my time. But it beats working at a Tech Village for barely over minimum wage.”

“You could always take that job Walter offered you at QC?” 

“I don’t want to work for my boyfriend’s family.”

“Why not? I’m not working for them. Thea sure as hell doesn’t have an interest in it. Someone should benefit from that 401k.”

“Oliver.”

“Okay, I will drop it. I’m just saying you have options.”

“This doesn’t sound like dropping it.”

“I just want to help.”

She leaned over kissing him gently on the cheek. “I know, and I love you for that. But it’s my life, and it’s my choice. And as much as working at QC would look great on my resume. Again. I technically couldn’t take the job for another six months anyway due to the  non-compete clause in my MG contract. So at least this way I’m doing something I’m good at, and I can keep a roof over my head.”

“I know, okay. I get it,” he sighed, wrapping his arms around her. “I will try and not bring it up again.”

“Try?”

“It’s as close as you’re getting.”

“Okay,” she kissed him again, this time on the lips and it was like their last one, but less heated. She could blank out of the entire world if it meant she got to kiss Oliver like that forever. “You’re cute when you worry.”

“Cute? Not devilishly handsome?”

“Nope,” she shook her head with a grin. “Adorable, cute, sweet, yes. Handsome, eh sometimes.”

“You think you’re funny.”

“Obviously. It’s one of my many charms.”

“Anything else happen while I was gone?”

“Not really.” 

But then she remembered the Aussie suit that showed up yesterday. How he seemed too interested in the space, even though he claimed he had a reason for being there.

“There was one thing.”

He turned to her, face twisting into curiosity. “What?”

“Sebastian Blood sent someone to scout out locations for his mayoral campaign launch.”

“He’s running for mayor now?” She nodded and Oliver rolled his eyes. “Perfect. What’s his platform?”

“I think it had something to do with God sparing the Glades and punishing the wealthy. Also that the vigilante clearly knows what’s up.”

“The vigilante would appreciate if people stop putting words in his mouth,” Oliver grumbled. “How can anyone see what I do like that?”

“Well you put arrows in wealthy scum bags, so the jump isn’t out of the ordinary,” she replied, but kept a hand on his. “But anyone who knows the real you, knows you don’t agree with smearing a man based on the actions of his father. Which is exactly the kind of campaign Blood is gonna run. If he’s elected, it will be at Tommy’s expense.”

“We’re gonna have to prepare him for that.”

“Unfortunately, yeah.”

“Anything else we should worry about with the guy Blood sent? Did you get his name?”

Felicity was just about to answer when the sound of a jet engine took over the space. And she could see it, coming through the clouds. Tommy was home.

\---

Tommy was able to find little sleep on the flight back to Starling.  He was too keyed up, knowing he’d have to explain himself to everyone he left behind.  Despite Lyla understanding, telling him that she could wait until he’d spoken to Oliver and Felicity, Laurel and Thea before discussing it with her, Lyla’s eyes had been trained on him the entire flight.  Not that he could really blame her. He knew what he’d been like those couple of days after the incident on the roof. After he’d... died. But things were different now. Tommy knew how to control it, and once they retrieved the vial and found the Lotus, he would be cured and could finally put this whole mess behind him.

“You look like some wheels are turning in there,” Lyla said.

He met her eyes and shrugged.  They were only a few minutes to touchdown, and part of him wondered if leaving that note for Ollie and Felicity had been a mistake. What if they didn’t come?

Tommy cleared his throat.  “Just thinkin’,” he said dismissively.  The hum and click of the landing gear descending gave him pause, and Tommy met Lyla’s eyes, refusing to say more.

“I can see that,” Lyla deadpanned.  “Anything you want to talk about before we reach Starling?”

He shook his head.  Because yes, there were things that he needed to tell Lyla, things that he needed to tell all of them.  But for some reason, he felt like he needed to hold onto them, to keep them private for the few minutes longer that he could.  Touching down in Starling would push everything back in motion, and he needed just these last few minutes of silence, of clarity, of nothing but his own voice in his head.

Because with Starling would come Malcolm.  Tommy didn’t know how he knew, but he did. He wouldn’t be able to outrun his father’s voice in his head there.

Tommy closed his eyes, resting his head against the back of the seat.  He could feel Lyla’s eyes on him, but she didn’t say anything else. He wondered who would be waiting for him when the plane landed.  Certainly, Felicity had seen then post in the Paris paper. Would she have told anyone else, or kept it to herself until she saw him? Something inside him said that Oliver knew.  Felicity wouldn’t have kept that from him. Would Waller be there too, chomping at the bit to find out what he’d discovered about the League?

Rolling the tension out of his neck, Tommy glanced out the window, where the ground was quickly rising to meet them, at least that’s how it looked.  And then, in the blink of an eye they were out of the sky, back on solid ground, back in Starling. Back home.

“I would appreciate avoiding your superiors,” Nyssa said, already out of her seat with her bag over her shoulder.

The plane rolled to a stop and Tommy glanced out the window.  There was a car at the end of the tarmac, but from the distance, Tommy couldn’t make out whose it was.  “Let’s hope for the best then,” he said, standing and grabbing his bag. He didn’t move toward the exit right way, even as Lyla gave him a pointed look.

Tommy took a few deep, steadying breaths, his eyes slipping closed again.  He hadn’t allowed himself to think about it while he was at Nanda Parbat- about how much of him leaving was avoidance over what had occurred two months prior.  But now the weight of it had him rocking back on his heels. His father had attempted to kill half the city. The company Malcolm had built, what had even happened to it in the months since?  The building was destroyed, along with who knew how much of the downtown skyline. But Merlyn Global- Tommy hadn’t even given the company a second thought since then. Were all of those people out of jobs?  Had the company collapsed like the building with his name plastered on the side? Tommy had a feeling that he was about to find out.

Nyssa prodded him on toward the door.  “No good will come from prolonging this,” she said quietly.

He followed Lyla toward the door.  Two figures stood beside the car in the distance, and he could tell that it was Oliver and Felicity’s silhouettes.  For a moment, none of them moved, and then Felicity broke into a run straight for him. Tommy moved down the stairs of the plane, dropping his bag on the ground just before she leapt into his arms.

“I didn’t know how you’d react to me coming back,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.

“I didn’t either,” she said, barely above a whisper.

Tommy set her down, but even when she pulled out of his embrace, she kept her hands on his arms, like if she let him go, he’d disappear like smoke.  Unshed tears glittered in her eyes, and then her face hardened, and she smacked him on the arm.

“That’s for leaving without telling anyone,” she said.

“Umm, oww,” Tommy quipped, even though she hadn’t actually hurt him.  Over her shoulder, Tommy spotted Oliver hanging back. “Is he mad at me too?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

Felicity shook her head.  “I think it’s just for show.  Mostly he was mad at himself for not seeing the signs before you left.”

“You did though.”

“Despite you doing your best to hide them,” she sighed.  “I knew something was off. I just wish…” her voice trailed off.

“I’ll tell you everything now.  I promise.” Tommy blew out a breath.  “I just needed some time to get my head on straight.”

“And did you?”

He shrugged.  “Hard to tell some days.  But I’m working on it.” He cleared his throat.  “I know I don’t have any right to ask… but how’s Laurel?  And Thea?”

“Why don’t you talk to Oliver first,” Felicity suggested, and then as if she were seeing the other two people who had deplaned for the first time, she cocked her head to the side.  “And then we can talk about everything else.”

Tommy glanced over his shoulder, where Nyssa and Lyla stood watching them.  Yeah, he had no idea how that conversation was going to go. But he nodded and released Felicity, stepping around her toward Oliver.

“Hey Ollie,” he said with a weak smile.

“At least it didn’t take you five years,” Oliver said, and moved in, pulling him into a quick hug.  There was no humor in his friend’s voice, but there was no malice in it either.

They were more similar now than they were different.  Both had lost their fathers to horrific ends, both had withstood their own crucible and come home, for better or for worse.  And even though Tommy’s mission wasn’t complete, even if he wasn’t whole yet, he would be. And that was the important part.

“If I’d told you--”

Oliver nodded.  “I would have stopped you from going.”  A single brow ticked up, almost in amusement as he added, “We both know I could take you, so…”

Tommy smiled, genuinely now.  Not the same grin that had always come so easily to him, but a ghost of it, a hint of it, and Tommy felt certain that he could get that smile back someday.  “Maybe you could’ve before,” Tommy said confidently. “But you have no idea what I’ve learned since I’ve been gone.”

Oliver gestured to Nyssa.  “Well I can make a few guesses,” he said soberly.  “You didn’t… pledge to them or anything, right?”

Tommy shook his head.

“Good, because I doubt her father would let Nyssa break two contracts.”

“She’s helping me,” Tommy said, glancing at Oliver.  “I have a lot to explain to you all. But Nyssa needs to stay off the radar, so maybe we can do this somewhere else?”

Oliver didn’t answer right away, instead, pulling out his phone and typing something in.  A moment later it chimed and Oliver nodded. “Digg and Sara are clearing out of the Foundry.  We can go there.”

“I was thinking maybe somewhere with a hot shower?  Like my apartment?”

Oliver cleared his throat.  “Laurel is staying there tonight.”

Tommy’s brow furrowed at the same time that his heart leapt into his throat.   _ Laurel. _  “She’s staying at my place?”

His friend nodded.  “She and I…”

Panic flooded Tommy’s veins and his eyes shot up.  Oliver and Laurel? There was no way. 

“Not like that,” Oliver explained dismissively.  “Felicity and I are still together. But Laurel and I found some common ground when you left.  We’ve been switching off staying at your place.” He paused. “In case you came back.” Oliver glanced down.  “Felicity and I decided not to tell anyone else about your message until we knew for sure. So Laurel’s still there, at your place.”

Tommy’s heart raced wildly in his chest.  Laurel was staying at his place, waiting for him to return home.  Did that mean that she was still in this thing, still wanted to be with him?  He hadn’t even dared hope when he’d left. But now it was all he could do to keep from grabbing Oliver’s phone and calling her.

He blew out a long breath.  “So the Foundry…”

“Technically, you can get a hot shower there,” Oliver said.  “We installed one last month.”

“You do plumbing now?” Tommy grinned.  “I feel like there’s a joke in there somewhere.”

Oliver scoffed dismissively.  “Can I ask you something?” he said.

“Hmm?” Tommy hummed.

“Why the Paris paper?”

Tommy shrugged.  Why had he used the paper?  He could have called, or written, or any number of things.  “I wanted it to be an easy out for you guys. If I came back and you didn’t want to see me, you could have feigned ignorance.  Claimed you never saw it.” 

But that wasn’t the reason.  It was because Tommy knew he was leaving again, and if he’d talked to any of them directly before coming back, he might not have done it at all.  He might have sent Nyssa ahead to retrieve the Lotus and met her in Japan. And he knew he needed this. He needed to make things right with Oliver and Felicity and Laurel and Thea.  And having them show up meant that they wanted to make things right too. 

Oliver nodded, like the lie made sense.  “I hope you know better than that now. You waited for me for five years.  Felicity waited for me for two. There’s nothing you could do, no length of time that you could ever go away, when we wouldn’t want to see you.”

And with that, Oliver put his arm over Tommy’s shoulder, and squeezed tightly.

_ You believe that? _ Malcolm’s voice echoed in his head.  It huffed a laugh.  _ Being back here brings out everything that makes you soft.  But don’t worry son, I will find a way to make you strong. _

Tommy closed his eyes against the words, but he couldn’t stop their echo through his brain.   _ Your father follows you because you have yet to let him go, _ Nyssa had told him.  And Tommy wondered, not for the first time, if maybe she was right.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello ducks,  
> Why do I say things like this? The world may never know. Anyway here we are, chapter 4. Some storylines really start picking up steam here. And drive us into the meat of what's happening to our trio.
> 
> Also you might notice. This is posting on Sunday and not Monday. Well due to some time management stuff, this is our new posting day! I hope you all love it. Onward to the story.
> 
> much love,  
> Kayla

They waited to talk until they got to the Foundry. Mostly for Tommy’s benefit, he looked frayed at the edges, and Oliver couldn’t help but wonder just what trigger in his friend had sent him so far away, and what brought him back as well. 

They had already dropped Lyla off at her place, so that just left the four of them. Which Felicity apparently couldn’t help but mentioning.

“I feel like there’s a joke in here somewhere,” she mused close to him as Tommy and Nyssa walked around the space. “A vigilante, a government agent, an assassin, and a tech genius walk into the basement of a nightclub.”

Oliver smiled, but he was still wary of Nyssa’s presence. Because if Tommy had just wanted to come home, if he had found whatever he had been searching for, why would he bring her with him?

“I see your operation has not grown much in the last couple months,” Nyssa said, but her hand was tracing the edges of Sara’s mask. 

“Sara’s been a big help,” he replied, and yeah maybe it was a little selfish that he watched her face for a sign of distress. But just because Tommy trusted her enough to bring her back, didn’t me he had to fall in line. “Guess the League is good for something.”

“What a kind thing to say with such contempt. Where I come from we slaughter men for less.”

“Maybe we should keep the sharp words not directed at each other,” Tommy intervened, his eyes directed more at Nyssa. “You can wash up first.”

“You do not trust me with your companions?”

“Nyssa.”

“Fine,” she straightened, and looked to Felicity. “Will you show me to the shower?”

To Felicity’s defense she hardly looked phased as she pointed towards the corner where the bathroom had been installed. “You look smart enough to navigate the rest just fine.”

Once the door closed, and Oliver heard the water start up, he turned his attention back to Tommy. 

He hadn’t expected things to feel so strained between them. But then again when he looked into Tommy’s eyes he could see a sight that was all too familiar. He could see himself from months back. When the mission, and being closed off. were his only goals. He wanted to ask, but he could wait for Tommy to be ready. 

Felicity on the other hand apparently did not share that sentiment. “Now that your new bff is out of the room, maybe you want to tell us what the hell is going on.” 

“Felicity please just…”

“No. Okay you disappeared for two months. We didn’t know where you were, we didn’t know why you up and vanished,” she shook her head. “And suddenly you come home, and you bring the League with you.”

“I didn’t bring the League,” he said, his voice quiet as he looked at them both. “I brought one person, one member.”

“But you were coming home.”

Oliver reached for her hand, tugging her back from Tommy just a bit. “You’re not home, are you?”

Felicity turned to him, her eyes searching his for meaning. Then she looked back at Tommy. He was slumped against the med table, hands gripped the edge of the table as he took steady breaths. 

“I can’t, not yet,” he managed to say as he came out of whatever had caused him to go rigid. 

“What are you talking about?” Felicity tried to go to Tommy, but Oliver held her back. He trusted his best friend more than anyone, but he didn’t trust whatever was happening to him.

“I’m okay,” Tommy said, and Oliver only loosened his grip when he saw Tommy’s hands relax again. “I’m sorry. It’s harder now that I’m back.”

He could tell Felicity wanted to ask him what, but then she thought better of it. Tommy needed to get this out himself.

“What Nyssa did to me,” he started, then he folded his arms and sat up straighter. “What the water did, to bring me back, it left something behind.”

Now it was Oliver’s turn to ask. “What does that mean?” 

“Legend says that you gain a bit of the soul of everyone who’s bathed in the water.”

“That sounds gross,” Felicity grimaced in an attempt to make him smile. But when she looked at him again she changed tactics. “But you said it was a legend, that doesn’t mean there’s truth to it. You’re fine right?”

“It’s a need, a desire stronger than anything I’ve ever felt before,” he continued, avoiding her question. “And I left to learn how to control it, so it wouldn’t control me.”

He didn’t look like he wanted to continue, like the very thought of saying what came next was too much for him. And part of Oliver felt like he already could guess where the story was headed.

“What did you have to do to control it?” He didn’t want to ask, but he did anyway. Because he needed to hear it from Tommy.

Tommy’s eyes met his in anguish. And even without the words he got his answer. He could see it swimming just below the surface. 

“Tommy I--”

“This isn’t your fault Ollie.”

“I told her to use the water.”

“That still doesn’t put this on you.”

“Dammit, yes it does,” he pushed himself across the room, his hands wringing at his sides. “We should have tried something else, we should have taken the bullet out, gotten you to a hospital. We should have…”

“What are you two not sharing?” Felicity asked, but her eyes stayed focused on his. She knew he couldn’t lie to her.

He couldn’t force the words out, he didn’t want to speak that kind of truth into existence. Not for Tommy. Not for anyone he loved. 

But Tommy cleared his throat, and Felicity turned back to him. “It’s a bloodlust Felicity. The only way to control it, is to take a life.”

Oliver watched her out of the corner of his eye, saw her go still at his words, as they washed over the room. Then she was shaking her head. “No, that’s not… Tommy?”

“It was the only thing I could do,” he replied, but his voice sounded a million miles away. “And when… the first time it happened, I could feel the difference. I felt more like myself then I had since before that rooftop.”

“The first time?” she questioned, a bitter sting to her words. “So you’ve killed more than once?”

Oliver couldn’t help but flinch at her words, even though he understood why she said them. Because neither of them ever thought Tommy would have to deal with something like this.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” she added, her gaze looking between the two of them. “I don’t think like that. I just. Tommy, this isn’t… you could have come to us. We could have helped.”

“No you couldn’t have,” he said, and the sharpness in his voice had guilt flooding his features. “I love you guys, you know that. But the only person who was able to draw me even a bit back from the edge was Laurel. And I still almost lost it around her. I couldn't do that. I couldn’t risk hurting her, or Thea, or either of you. I couldn’t let him have that much control.”

Oliver’s eyes ticked over again. “Him?”

Tommy clearly hadn’t been planning on sharing that detail because he swallowed it down, his eyes squeezed shut. “Don’t ask me about that, please.”

“We’re your family,” he said, taking a step towards him. “You know that. Whatever is going on with you, whatever you think you need to protect us from, that’s not how the three of us work. We agreed to tell each other everything. Remember?”

Tommy met his gaze and he could see the shine of tears in his eyes. “It’s not that easy, Ollie.”

“I know that, more than anyone in your life I know that.”

“Ever since that night,” he took a staggering breath like he was fighting against something, perhaps he was fighting himself. “I see him, he talks to me, gives me advice, taunts me.”

“Who?” Felicity dared to ask, but they both could guess who Tommy was talking about.

He let out a choked laugh. “Malcolm. Six feet in the ground and he’s more present than the last twenty years.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

“You know why Ollie,” he said, with a shrug. “You think I could have explained to you that I knew bringing me back had tainted something in me. And the things he says. Look I know it’s not real. I know that he’s in my head and he can’t hurt the ones I care about.”

“But you still left,” Felicity had moved to stand next to Tommy, her hand resting on his arm now.

“Because I knew,” Tommy’s face filled with more pain than Oliver had ever seen on another. “I knew that those words had to come from somewhere. And if they couldn’t come from Malcolm, that meant they were coming from me. And I wasn’t about to destroy the only family I had left with whatever darkness this is. So I went to the one place that could help me figure it out."

“The League of Assassins though? You get how dangerous that is?”

“Yeah, I do,” Tommy rubbed at his temples. “But it helped.”

His eyes slid to Felicity and Oliver couldn’t help but follow the look. Tommy knew he wouldn’t judge him for the things he had to do to survive. But Felicity was another story. 

“If you’re not back for good,” she said, ignoring the look. “Why did you come back now?”

“Nyssa found something that would cure the bloodlust,” he replied, clearing his throat. “It’s some weird, possibly mystical thing. We just needed to get something Nyssa left with Sara.”

“That actually was not quite true,” the three of them cut their gazes across the room to Nyssa. She stood at the open bathroom door, and Oliver could hear Felicity scoff under her breath.

“What are you talking about?” Tommy stood as walked past them both. “You said you gave Sara the vial and we needed that for Japan. What part of that isn’t true?”

Nyssa considered things for a second, and as she did she slowly strode along the edge of the room. “All of it.”

“What?”

“Your tone would indicate that you heard me just fine.”

“Are you freaking kidding me?”

“You needed to get away from Nanda Parbat.” 

“We could have been in and out of Japan by now.”

“And instead you’re having a heart to heart with your friends, I think this was a better choice.”

“Don’t act like you did this for me,” he replied flatly. “You don’t care that much. We’re here so you can see Sara, right?”

“I have no idea what you mean.”

“Oh, my ga--”

Tommy’s rant what cut off by a rapid beep from Felicity’s computer. They all turned towards it, as she rushed over, hitting buttons.

“What’s going on?” Oliver came up behind her, his hand hovering at her back. 

“City alert,” she explained hitting a sequence into her keyboard. “I set it up for when anything more dangerous than street gangs flared up.”

“And right now it would mean?”

Her face twisted in confusion. “Um, okay?”

“What?”

“Apparently some psycho with a sword just attacked a metro charity function.”

“Sword?”

“Yep,” she hit a few more buttons. “And that’s not all. Apparently shots were fired as well, sniper variety.”

“Call Digg.”

“What is it?” Tommy asked as he stepped closer to them. 

“Could be nothing,” Felicity said as she grabbed her phone. “Or Floyd Lawton just found a target rich environment.”

“Lawton?”

“Yeah,” Oliver groaned as he stepped back. “Keep trying John. I’m gonna suit up and head over there. No way SCPD is gonna be able to cover all the surrounding buildings. Talk me into the ones they miss.”

“Wait,” Tommy said, and he had to turn back to face him. “I’ll come with you.”

“Tommy, you don’t have to do that.”

“So it’s better if you go out there without backup? Come on Ollie, you need me.”

He chanced a look at Felicity as she dropped her phone again. “John’s not picking up.”

“Okay,” he relented. “But we’re gonna have to find something to cover your face.”

“Wow, nice insult buddy.”

“Just move,” but he couldn’t help the smile that threatened to cross his face. It felt good to have Tommy back, even if he had changed.

\---

“Actually,” Felicity said, pulling focus back to her for a moment.  “I think it makes more sense for Tommy to stay behind, and for Nyssa to be backup for Oliver.”

Three sets of eyes looked at her indignantly.

“I offered no such assistance,” Nyssa said, speaking up first.

Felicity shrugged.  “Yeah, but you brought Tommy back here and we haven’t told anyone else about him being back.  Besides, creepy dudes with swords? I feel like that’s kinda your jam, no?”

The assassin crossed her arms over her chest defiantly, but didn’t answer.

But really though, Felicity just wasn’t ready to let Tommy out of her sight.  Not after just getting him back, and especially not after what he’d just told them about hearing Malcolm’s voice.  She swallowed hard. Or about the killing.

She wasn’t sure why it bothered her so much.  She’d known for years that Oliver had killed people.  He’d done it to survive in Russia, probably before that too.  He’d killed three men with her in the same room earlier that year, when they’d gone back to Russia to save Sofia and Ivan and Ana.  But somehow Tommy had always felt different to Felicity. As far as she knew, he’d never killed a person before and the idea of him having to just so that he could feel sane, just to feel like himself again, it made Felicity sick to her stomach.

Tommy leveled a gaze at her, and she could tell he wasn’t happy about being benched.  Well that was tough. If he was still feeling unstable, still hearing Malcolm’s voice in his head, than Felicity wasn’t sure she wanted him out in the field.

Oliver cleared his throat, obviously uneasy with the whole situation.  “We don’t have time for discussions,” he said finally, moving toward his bow.  “Tommy, you stay with Felicity. Nyssa, you’re with me.”

Felicity mouthed a silent  _ thank you _ to Oliver before he turned to grab his hood.  Her attention went back to her computers, where police calls were pouring in over the shooting slash stabbing at the metro charity event.

“Police have been dispatched to the scene,” Felicity said.  “Lawton has already left, with several injuries reported. But the sword wielder is still on sight.”  She paused, frowning. “And he’s wearing an orange and black mask?”

Oliver froze from across the room, hood up over his head.  He had been on his way to the back door, Nyssa right on his heels, when he spun around.  “What kind of mask?” he asked.

“Orange and black.  And it’s like a helmet, covers his whole head.  The image is grainy, but I’m sending it to your phone.”

“Let’s move out,” he said to Nyssa, his voice gruff and his stance tense.  And then he disappeared.

“I’ll navigate,” Felicity said, this time into the comm.  “I can get you there before the police.”

Oliver didn’t answer, but she heard his motorcycle roar to life in the garage, and that was all the prompting she needed.  For the next several moments, she alternated between giving Oliver directions and trying to reach Diggle. She wondered if he was deep in discussion with Lyla over where she’d been.  Or maybe since Lyla worked for ARGUS, Diggle didn’t ask too many questions. It was really none of her business anyway. Except the anxiety she felt over not being able to reach him made Felicity worry that something may have happened. 

It was probably just nervous energy, she knew. But with Lawton being back in town, she knew they couldn’t be too careful.

“Come on, John,” she groaned, hanging up as his phone once again went to voicemail.

“Want me to try Lyla?” Tommy offered.

Felicity glanced over at him.  “I’m sorry. I know this isn’t what you expected to come back to,” she sighed.  “Unfortunately the crime in this city never sleeps.”

Tommy nodded, understanding.  “It’s fine,” he said, but there was something lurking under the surface of his features.  

An uneasiness that Felicity couldn’t place.  Was it the bloodlust? Or the fact that she knew he’d killed over the last two months just to find sanity?  Felicity swallowed back the bile that rose in her throat. Was her Tommy gone? The good natured, easy-to-smile, compassionate man that had become her best friend over the last several years.  She always looked for the best in people, and that would never change. But Tommy was different now. It didn’t take a microscope to see that.

Felicity cleared her throat.  “Yeah, maybe try Lyla?” And then she turned her attention back to the DOT grid she had pulled up for the city.  Oliver and Nyssa were almost to the address of the attack, although things seemed to have calmed down considerably in the last couple of moments.

She pushed her cell phone toward him, and then got back to work getting Oliver and Nyssa to the scene.  Oliver was quiet, his voice clipped but determined every time he spoke. Was he just on edge being around Nyssa?  Felicity shook her head, she couldn’t think about that now. They had two psychos to track down. And Floyd Lawton was notoriously good at getting in and out of places undetected.

Beside her, Tommy’s voice was low, barely a murmur as he spoke into the phone.  And then he ended the call, dropping it back onto the desk.

“They were indisposed,” he said, a faint quirk at the side of his mouth.  “Digg is on his way and should be back on comms any minute.”

_ “Foundry?  Arrow?”  _ Diggle’s voice came.

Felicity cleared her throat.  “There you are,” she said. “Arrow is on the scene.  What did you find out from the lead this afternoon?”

“ _ Dead end _ ,” Diggle said.  “ _ The place was being rented by some rich asshole for his mistress.” _

“That’s… disappointing,” she said.  “And unfortunately Lawton is a ghost.  He knows how not to leave a trail. It’s going to take me hours to piece together footage to find how he got out of that building and where he went.”

_ “And the man in the mask?” _ Oliver asked through the comm.

“Disappeared the same way Lawton did,” Felicity sighed.  “Out the back alley and through a blind spot on the building’s surveillance cameras.”  She glanced at the feed. “Arrow, you’re right there.” In the camera, she could see him cut the engine to the bike and climb off.  He’d already dropped Nyssa off somewhere and he was alone in the alley. “A few steps to the left is where the blind spot is.”

In her ear, Oliver swore in response.

“Arrow?” she asked.  “What is it?”

_ “There’s nothing here,” _ he growled.

“Do a perimeter sweep.  Cops are two minutes out.”

Felicity’s hands fell away from the keyboard for a moment, as she glanced sidelong at Tommy.  His eyes were trained on her, but it was like he was looking through her at something far away.  They were unfocused and Felicity felt herself stiffen. And then he snapped back to focus and Felicity swallowed hard.  She’d never felt uneasy around Tommy Merlyn. Not once in the three plus years she’d known him. Not until just then.

“You’re different,” he said, leaning back in the chair he’d pulled up beside her.

Felicity narrowed her eyes.  “I think you mean that  _ you’re  _ different,” she countered. 

Tommy shook his head.  “No,” he said. “I mean, I am.  Everything changed that night on the roof, but that’s not what I mean.  You’re acting different.” He regarded her carefully. “Are you mad at me for leaving?”

She shook her head.  She had been, once. In those first few days after he’d gone, Felicity had been angry at him for going.  But she’d understood, she’d forgiven him. At least she thought she had.

“I’m not,” she said, sitting a little straighter in her seat.  “I just wish you would have trusted me with it. Oliver and I- we would have done whatever we could to help you.  We would have understood. I mean it’s not like he hasn’t been through something similar.” Her voice was thick with emotion.  “But you just…. Left.”

“Felicity…” he began.

But she shook her head dismissively and cleared her throat, her eyes focusing back on the security cameras in front of her.  Another alert had her switching windows on the computer, where she found a car blowing through red light cameras.

“We may have something,” she said into the comm.  “Black coupe. Looks like a Mercedes. No license plate.”

_ “I’m on it,” _ Oliver said.  He was back on the motorcycle a second later, the bike springing to life under his touch.

Felicity watched as he sped toward the mouth of the alley.  He barely slowed and in one swift motion, he and Nyssa locked onto each other’s wrists and she swung up behind him, like they’d been practicing for years.

“Take your next left,” she instructed.  “He’s two blocks up.”

_ “I see him, _ ” Oliver said.

_ “I’m closing in from the East,” _ Diggle said.

Felicity expanded the radius of the street cams she was watching, Tommy resting his palms on the desk as he leaned over beside her.  The Mercedes they were tailing was swerving in and out of lanes, leaving a trail of accidents in their wake. But Oliver kept on, weaving and dodging cars as he closed in on the car.  And then a smoke bomb exploded, clouding the cameras on the street.

“Oliver!” Felicity yelled into the comms.

She barely registered the steps on the stairs, didn’t have time to react or even think before a voice called out behind her.

“What happened?” Thea asked, anxiety lacing her words.  

Felicity spun in her chair, hair whipping around behind her.

Thea’s eyes went from panicked to confused to hurt.  “Tommy?”

\---

Tommy felt the tension grow in the space. Felicity kept flicking her gaze between Thea and the computer behind her. He knew she wanted to get in touch with Oliver. But the look on Thea’s face kept her rooted in place. 

Somehow he hadn’t prepared himself for what he’d feel when he saw her again. Like a hole inside him opened up, and swallowed down the pain he felt over being Malcolm’s son. Because yeah his father was horrible. But he also helped create this person before him, his little sister, and he couldn’t help but think that it might be the only good thing Malcolm had ever done. 

“What the hell?”

“Speedy,” he started but her fury seemed rooted in place.

“Did you know he was coming back?” she asked Felicity with hurt. “For how long?”

She shook her head and sighed. “Thea, look it’s not like that.”

“Did you know this morning?” Felicity didn’t reply. “Last night?”

“This isn’t Felicity’s fault,” he said coming to stand between them. “I asked her not to say anything. I wanted to be the one who… I wanted you to hear it from me.”

“Right,” Thea scoffed, but he could hear the tears wanting to hold themselves back. “Because everyone I love wants me to be the last to know everything.”

“Speedy,” he reached out for her but she backed away. 

“I have to get back to work.”

She ran back up the stairs, and Tommy felt the ache grow in his chest. This is why he wanted to wait to come home. He wanted to feel whole before he even thought of getting close to the ones he cared about again.

And there was Malcolm in the back of his head, taunting him once more. 

_ She’s more like me than I would have ever hoped she could be. _ He hissed.  _ All that fight and anger, I should have tried more with her. She could have been my legacy. _

“No,” he breathed out, pressing the heel of his hand against his head. “You’re wrong.”

He wasn’t going to let his father win out. Not with Thea, and not with him.

“I gotta go talk to her,” he said over his shoulder, meeting Felicity’s eyes for a second.

She had heard him, he could tell by the way she was watching him. But if she objected to him leaving she wouldn’t voice it. He knew that much.

He would have to find a way past the barrier that his leaving created between him and Felicity. Because he refused to lose her over  this. He couldn’t lose any of them. But Felicity above all? She had been the only one he could trust when the chips had been down. And for a second he realized why she was so upset. He could see a path in which he had told Felicity what was going on, and she would have tried to help him. She would have done anything in her power to help him. Because that’s what they did right? They helped each other through anything. Together.

He didn’t wait for her to reply as he climbed the stairs, slipping out the side door into the pulsing bass of the club above. 

He shouldn’t have been surprised to see that the club was doing so well. Even in the wake of the destruction of the downtown skyline, the youth would always flock to a party. And no one partied quite like the residents of Starling City. 

But he still kept his head low as he pushed through the crowd. He didn’t want it to be the talk of the gossip sites before dawn. But he could picture the headlines anyway. 

_ Billionaire back as dust settles around the ruins of the Merlyn legacy.  _ Yeah he felt it better to avoid the attention for now.

He found his way towards the bar, and even though he couldn’t see Thea, he could see flashes of his old life. The one he would have happily fallen into just a few years ago. It felt so foreign to him. The need to drown in liquor until the faces of everyone blurred into the same bout of nothingness. He wasn’t that Tommy anymore. And he was barely the man that had been left in his wake. There were too many pieces pulling him in too many directions. Not sure where he’d land if he chose to do so. 

He caught the flash of Thea’s hair as she ascended the stairs at the back of the club, headed towards the office. 

He cut through the throng of bodies as fast as he could, ignoring the prickling sensation at the back of his neck, like someone had their eyes trained on him. 

_ No one knows you’re here. _ He kept repeating in his head, as he finally made it to the office door. He didn’t knock before he pushed it open. 

Thea sat with her arms on her knees, huddled up to the side of the desk. 

“I told you I needed a minute Roy,” she huffed, but when she looked up and saw that it was Tommy she just glared. “Go away.”

“Can’t,” he shrugged moving to take a seat on the carpet next to her. “I have this rule about not leaving people I care about alone to cry.”

“You already broke that rule two months ago,” she spat back, but it was more out of sorrow than spite. “Apparently everyone just wants to break their promises.”

“Please don’t be mad at Felicity,” he placed a hand on hers. He wanted to offer her comfort but a part of him still feared he could hurt her. “I really did want to be the one who told you I was back.”

She turned her head to meet his gaze. Even though their eyes were shades away from being the same, he couldn’t help but see a bit of himself reflected back. 

“You just left,” she said in a hushed voice, like speaking the words would somehow make him disappear again. “But worst of all, you didn’t… you didn’t say goodbye.”

She dropped her head again, and he couldn’t tell if she wanted to cry or scream.

“I should have talked to you before I left.”

“When I found out about Malcolm,” she said, and then shrugged. “You said we would always be family, and then you were gone. And I… I didn’t have questions until you left, but then there was no one there to answer them.”

He would rather face down someone with a double edged blade than ever see that look of betrayal on her face again. “I shouldn’t have done that to you.”

“No you shouldn’t have.”

“You gonna let me off the hook?” he asked, a hint of teasing as he nudged her leg.

“I haven’t decided yet,” she replied, stretching her legs out in front of her. “I take it if Felicity knows, so does Ollie?”

“Yeah,” he would make it a habit to keep the truth going with her for as long as he could. “They picked me up.”

“And Laurel?” There was a hopeful tinge to her words.

“Not yet,” he said, taking a deep breath. 

“You’re an idiot.”

“Gee, thanks,” but he smiled. “I don’t want to hurt her.”

“You already did that part. Seeing her would probably fix more than it broke.”

“It’s complicated Speedy.”

“Isn’t it always?” She knitted her eyebrows together, and stared at him closely. Like she was pulling apart the layers he had built around himself. Could see already see what he had tried so hard to hide away? “Something’s different.”

“A lot of things happened when I was gone,” he answered, the memories of the dead playing over and over again in his mind. “And I’m still trying to put those things to rest.”

“Don’t take too long with that,” she rested her head against his shoulder.

“I’ll try not to.”

The silence between them felt cool, like aloe on a scalding burn. It was nice to feel, even for the shortest of time, like he was finally home.

“What were you doing in the Foundry anyway?” he asked. 

Thea went a little still next to him, and he could already tell she was deciding between lying to him or telling the truth. “I was seeing if Ollie was gonna budge on something from earlier.”

“Why do I get the feeling I won’t want to hear this?”

She twisted from the back of the desk and spun a little so they faced each other. “It’s not bad. I swear it’s not, and Ollie’s making it worse by not agreeing.”

“Speedy, clue me in.”

“I’ve been,” she paused and took a moment to study his face. “I’ve been training with Sara.”

“Training?”

“See I knew you’d get like this.”

“Like what? All I did was repeat a word,” but he kind of felt like his pulse was starting to jump in jagged lines.

“We don’t have to talk about this.” She shook her head, and pushed herself off the floor and then reached for his hand. “In fact the subject is dropped.”

“Speedy,” he gave her a look as he stood. “I’m not gonna press you on this, but if Ollie doesn’t want you training he’s probably got a reason.”

“Because I’m his kid sister,” she challenged. “Despite the fact that I’m eighteen, I manage a nightclub, I’ve been through enough tragedy to last tenfold, oh and the fact that both of my brothers fight crime, using advanced training skills.”

“Exactly and look at what a mess our lives are,” he joked. “We just want more for you.”

“And I want more for my home,” she countered. “Starling needs heroes. And I don’t see why I can’t be one of them.”

He didn’t think he could talk her out of it. Not with two months worth of distance between them. But he also really didn’t have the energy to fight with her about it either. 

“Can we maybe table this discussion for another day?” he asked with a sigh. “I’m still pretty jet lagged.”

Thea pondered it for a second, and then she smiled. She reached up and pulled him into a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re home.”

“Me too,” he replied, not wanting to break the moment by telling her he’d have to leave soon. “I missed you Thea.”

“I missed you too.”

And he finally noticed, that for the first time since disembarking at the airstrip, there actually wasn’t a trace of Malcolm lingering under the surface. 

\---


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Happy Sunday... and in preparation for this week (for any of you US readers...) Happy Independence Day! We've got another great chapter coming your way... and so much more in store. We can't wait to share it all with you, so definitely feel free to subscribe so you don't miss a single update!
> 
> Much love,  
> Cassie

Smoke filled the air, exploding just a few yards in front of Oliver.  He slammed on the brakes of the bike, sending them sliding sideways, the bike grounding out and sputtering to a stop in the middle of the road.  Oliver slammed a fist against the handlebars. He couldn’t believe the car had gotten away. If he’d just swerved left instead of right he could have--

_ “Oliver!” _ Felicity’s voice screamed in his ear.

“I’m fine,” he growled, pulling the comm from his ear.  He wasn’t fine, not by a longshot. What he needed was to see that mask and the man behind it.  To prove to himself that more of his demons weren’t coming from back from the grave to haunt him.  Black and orange. Felicity had been adamant, despite the grainy image. And he needed to know for certain.  He pushed the comm back into his ear. “Which way did the car go?”

_ “Left on Maple and then a right on Linwood,” _ Felicity ticked off.   _ “Are you sure you’re okay? _ ”

“Fine,” he answered, revving the engine to the bike again.  “Nyssa, you coming?”

The assassin looked at him curiously.  “Ta-er…” she began, and then corrected.  “Sara. She is on patrol tonight?”

He nodded impatiently.

“I think I should like to find her.  Especially if our visit to Starling City is as brief as I expect.”

Oliver revved the bike again, peeling away in pursuit of the Mercedes.  It wasn’t hard to follow, not with Felicity giving him directions. Or at least it shouldn’t have been.  A few blocks later and Diggle’s car appeared beside him, the two of them weaving through the streets in search of the car.

“Which way Foundry?” he asked, not seeing the car anywhere.  When she didn’t respond immediately, Oliver prompted again. “We’re flying blind out here.”

_ “I’m trying,” _ she ground out finally.   _ “Someone is interrupting my connection to the…”  _ her voice trailed off.   _ “This is my code.  What the hell is my code doing in…” _

“Felicity, what’s going on over there?”  Anger was swelling in him. Not at her, but at the situation, at the thought that it might be another ghost.  He couldn’t lose the car, he couldn’t be left with this doubt over the identity of the masked man. He needed to know that he wasn’t crazy.

_ “I’ve lost them, _ ” she said finally, more ire in her voice than he’d heard in a long time.  “ _ Dammit!  I have to go.” _

“What?  What do you mean you have to go?”  Oliver slowed to a stop, pulling off the road and into an alley.  People were dead, they were in the middle of a pursuit. It wasn’t like Felicity to bail like that.  Diggle doubled back and pulled into the alley behind him, cutting the lights to his car. There was no answer in the comm.  Oliver frowned and pulled out his cell, dialing Felicity; it rang several times before she answered.

_ “I’m sorry, I can’t explain right now,” _ she said, and he could hear a car engine turn over in the background.

“You can’t leave in the middle of a mission,” he said, frustrated.  It took him a moment to calm down enough to realize what was going on.  “Is this about the code Alena found last night?”

_ “That is exactly what I am going to find out,” _ she said.   _ “I’m sorry that I lost the car.  But someone is knocking off my work and using it throw me out of the Department of Transportation’s systems.  And that is just sooo not cool.” _

Oliver had never heard Felicity like this before.  Sure, there had been other hackers to come along and try to bully their way into her system.  But none had ever been successful. And certainly none had been brazen enough to use her own code against her.  If it was bad enough to rattle her in the middle of a mission, then Oliver was smart enough to be worried.

“Is Tommy still at the Foundry?” he asked, switching gears as Diggle got out of the car and made his way over.

_ “Eh, about that…” _ Felicity said, her tone turning meek.   _ “Thea came down and saw him.  As far as I know, he’s still in the building, but he went up to the club to talk to her. _ ”

Oliver blew out a long breath, his eyes falling closed.  This night could not have gone any worse if he’d tried. “I’ll take care of it when I get back,” he said finally.  “And Felicity be--”

_ “I’ll be careful,” _ she interrupted. _   “But seriously, like I said before.  It’s not a vigilante thing. And as soon as Alena and I get to the bottom of this, I’ll find that car.” _

He ended the call and pocketed his phone, giving Diggle a shrug.  “Sorry for dragging you away from your evening for nothing.”

“Wasn’t nothing.  Was a pretty good car chase there for a minute,” Diggle said with a smirk.  “I’ve never seen Felicity act like that though. Everything okay?”

“Some hacker,” Oliver answered with a frown.  “Apparently they’re using a knock-off version of her code.  It bothered her enough that they were using it… but turning it against her?”  He shook his head. “She was going to Helix to get to the bottom of it so we could pick back up on our hunt for that car.”

Diggle sobered.  “Was it Lawton?”

“Don’t know.”  Oliver raised the kickstand on the bike and balanced it between his legs.  “But I’m going to head back and see if we can identify some of the victims.  Maybe figure out exactly what Lawton is doing here, and who hired him.”

John nodded.  “I’ll come back with you.”

But Oliver shook him off.  “Nah, you go enjoy the rest of your night.  Didn’t Lyla just get back?”

“You know, she did,” he answered.  “But you already knew that. Because you saw her at the airport.”

“She told you about that, huh?”

“That Tommy’s back?  Yeah, she told me. Not much more than that, but I’ve learned not to ask when ARGUS is involved.”

Oliver nodded.  It was a hard lesson for him to learn, and he and Tommy had only been open with each other for a few weeks about what each of them did before everything happened and Tommy left.  And even still, Tommy was just his best friend. Oliver wasn’t quite sure how he’d react if it was Felicity that was working for a company like ARGUS.

“You sure you don’t want any help, man?” Diggle asked, pulling Oliver back from his thoughts.

He shook his head.  “It’s fine, really. I have to talk to Thea anyway.  We decided not to tell her about Tommy until we knew for sure that he was coming.  And she saw him in the Foundry.”

“Ah, the joys of covert ops, even from one’s family.”

Oliver stashed his phone in his pocket.  He’d been sitting still for too long, especially considering he was still in his hood with his quiver strapped to his back.  “See you tomorrow,” he said, turning the bike on.

He didn’t wait for Diggle’s reply, just pushed off and spun around, heading back out the alley they’d come into for cover.  Diggle waved as he got back in the car and Oliver disappeared around the corner. As he drove, memories flooded his mind of the last several days on Lian Yu.  The first time he was on the island. Everything had been such a mess back then. Losing Sara, finding her again, the freighter, the mirakuru, losing Shado, losing Slade.

Slade Wilson had been an ally back then.  He’d taught Oliver how to defend himself, how to use his body as a weapon.  But that was before the mirakuru took hold of his mind and body, twisting him into a gruesome ghost of the man he’d once been.  And when the time had come, Oliver had killed him, stabbing him with an arrow right through his eye.

Oliver shivered cold against the memory.  Slade hadn’t survived, it wasn’t possible.  He’d watched the light go out in his eyes before the freighter sank into the North China Sea, taking Slade with it.

But Sara had been aboard the Amazo too, when it had gone down.  And hadn’t she cheated death more than once? Hadn’t she been reborn as an avenging angel in the Glades, using the skills taught to her by the League to take down evil in her city?

Was it possible that Slade had survived?  Oliver couldn’t be sure. It hurt his brain to think about.  But he knew that he needed to get to the bottom of it. And the first thing to do was to head back to the Foundry and watch the security footage.  Felicity might not have known what to look for- the way Slade held himself, the gait of his steps across a floor. But Oliver could pick out Slade’s stance and walk from anywhere.  He’d memorized the sound of the man’s steps across a jungle floor when he half dozed every night on the island.  

And Oliver wouldn’t rest until he learned the truth.

\---

“You’ve got to be freaking kidding,” Felicity groaned as the line of code shut her out. Again. She tried another approach, typing furiously at her keys. This wasn’t possible. It shouldn’t have been possible.

“Maybe you should take a break,” Alena suggest as she set a mug down next to their joint work space. “I mean coming at this with fresh eyes in the morning might help.”

“I can’t. Because of whoever this is I lost a--” she cut herself off, taking a breath before she met Alena’s gaze. Almost too much of an information dump then. And she couldn’t let Alena know about her  _ other _ job. “A very important file, and if I can’t recover it, well it would be bad for a lot of people.”

“What about people who would have had access to the code? Did you try running them down?”

Felicity could count on one hand the number of people who knew this particular code well enough to use it against her. She was one of them. Cooper had been another. That left one person who knew about this code, one single soul in all the world. She had to talk to Myron ASAP. “I’m working on a location as we speak.”

“A as in singular?”

“Not a lot of people knew it existed,” she replied hitting another set of keys in succession. “And whoever this is has almost completely cut me out of the citywide grid. Which doesn’t feel right.”

“What were you doing in the city grid?” 

She bit her lip, trying to think of some kind of lie Alena might believe. There really would be no good reason for her to be hacking into the city grid, and thus no reason to be this put out about not getting back in. 

“I would be extremely curious to learn the same thing.”

Both women jumped a little at the sound of the new voice in the space. 

Felicity flinched a little when the overhead light clicked on and Cayden James strode across the room. She could never quite wrap the mystery and legend around the man before her. He was unassuming and smiled like a father on his way to a parent teacher conference. Nothing about him screamed ‘hacker’. But then again someone could say the same thing about her. Her glasses, her hair, the way she dressed, it was a mask she wore to hold back the truth that happened at MIT. So what was Cayden James hiding beneath his layers she wondered?

“Cayden,” Alena stood with a grin, getting flustered.  _ Ever the fan girl. _ She remembered from the first time they met. “We were just chatting about a code--”

“That I had tried on the city grid,” Felicity cut in, giving Alena a quick look to plead with her to stop her rambles there. “I thought if we could find a good way to hack in, then maybe our foot traffic could be filtered through a multitude of channels instead of staying stagnant at a single hot spot. Less chance of it falling into the wrong hands.”

She flashed Cayden a smile for good measure. “But it’s late and I can work on this tomorrow.”

“I was hoping we could talk for a minute,” he said with a shrug. “If that’s alright with you.”

Alena gave her an encouraging nod as she grabbed for her messenger bag. “We’ll chat tomorrow. Keep me up to date on that thing.”

She waited until Alena had left before she decided to try and explain herself. “Mr. James--”

“Felicity, please we don’t have to be that formal,” Cayden waved her off. “While you’ve been doing work for us here at Helix, it isn’t exactly the conventional job setting. So we needn’t keep with the antiquated practices of an office building.”

“Right,” she nodded, feeling a surge of unease settled over her stomach. “It’s just, we haven’t exactly talked since I started here.”

“We have not, and I am afraid that’s my fault,” he watched her with an almost morose look. “After what happened with Merlyn Global, and your recruitment I was hesitant that you would want to stay on with us here.”

“Because it felt more like blackmail?” even the second she said it she wished she could pull the words back in. But then Cayden smiled at her.

“Precisely.” he moved to lean against one of the work stations. “And I want to apologize for that. See talent like yours Felicity, it comes along once in a generation. Your genetic makeup must be marvelously complex.”

“Not really,” But she couldn’t stop her father’s face from flashing into her mind. 

“Regardless, I wanted to wait and see if you were willing to stick around before I sought out some time with you one on one.”

“Why does this feel like another job offer.”

“It’s an offer it is. But not a job one,” he gave her a hesitate look. “But I wish to help you with whatever this code thing is. Between the two of us, the things we could do, well it would be a match for the ages.”

“Cayden,” she said slowly, grabbing for her bag on the back of her chair. “While I appreciate the offer for help, I prefer to code alone.”

“I assumed as much.”

“You did?”

“Well just because I hadn’t reached out, doesn’t mean I haven’t been watching,” he gave her a nod before he stood up straighter. “If you change your mind, you know where to find me.” 

“Can I go?” Even if he wasn’t technically her boss she was starting to feel a bit like she had every time Malcolm would want a one on one with her. And that was not a feeling she enjoyed at all.

“Oh, yes sorry, I don’t mean to keep you from your evening.”

Felicity rushed from the building, pulling her phone out at she did. The conversation with Cayden left her more rattled than she wanted to admit, and she was still reeling from her code being wielded as a weapon against her. And she got the worst feeling like someone was watching her.

She quickly dialed Oliver’s number and waited for him to pick up. From the six texts on her phone she knew she wouldn't have to wait long.

“Could you refrain from not answering me for an hour straight,” he said as soon as he answered. 

“Hello to you too.”

“Felicity.”

“Oliver,” two could play at the name game.

“Hello, how are you?”

“Good,” she said, her nerves already receding as he spoke. “How are you?”

“Worried about you.”

“I’m fine, I promise,” she was making her way to her car, trying to move off the street as fast as possible. “I couldn’t get a location on the car.”

“What happened?”

“I really don’t know,” she pushed her breath out, as she reached her door. “It’s frustrating as hell, because I should know. It’s my code and I hate being in the dark.”

“I know the feeling,” he muttered. “Anything else about the guy in the mask?”

It was the third time he’d brought up the mask, and she wasn’t nearly distracted enough not to mention it now. “What’s up with you? Do you have a grudge against mixing black and orange?”

He was quiet for a long moment on the other line. And Felicity was about to drop it before he spoke again. “Thea’s gonna take Tommy to the mansion, sneak him in the back and let him sleep. I’ll meet you at your place.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “I can’t do anymore searches tonight Oliver.”

“I know,” and his voice was soft. “I need to tell you something, and I want to do it in person. It has to do with the guy in the mask. Please?”

His tone had shifted, and Felicity knew she would say yes no matter what. 

“Just use your key, and not your vigilante skills, kay?”

“Deal,” and even if he sounded miserable, she could hear the faintest smile in his voice. “Talk to you soon.”

She had turned on the music on the way home. Because even in the safety of her car, she still felt like someone was watching her. She had checked her back seat a good three times to make sure no creepy urban legends would jump out at her. She was too jumpy for this. It had to be the code, it got her all messed up. Because if someone could hack her code, could they hack her car? Could they hack her phone, her computer? 

“Don’t be paranoid, Felicity,” she murmured to herself as she pulled up to her curb.

She could see Oliver standing under the streetlamp on her corner, his eyes trained in the direction she came from. 

He walked over to her window as she threw the car into park, and pulled her keys out of the ignition. He smiled as he opened her door for her. “Hi.”

“What happened to waiting in my apartment?” she asked, but she let his hand slip into her and tug her up from the car. 

“I thought I heard something,” he said, giving her a quick peck on her cheek. “Came to check it out when I saw your headlights.”

“You know my neighbors are gonna start to talk,” she teased, tugging on his coat collar. “About the hot guys lurking around, waiting on the corner when I get home.”

“I hope you just mean me.”

“You’ll never know,” she pulled on his hand and they made their way into her apartment. “How was Tommy when you saw him last?”

“I think being with Thea for a bit will be good for him. I should have told her he was coming home.”

Oliver closed the door behind them, and wrapped his arms around her. His head rested on her shoulder and his lips pressed into her neck. 

Oliver was particularly skilled at this form of distraction, and on any other night she’d let him get away with it. But she hadn’t forgotten his words on the phone.

“What did you need to tell me?” she moved out of his touch, and a small groan escaped his lips. “You’re the one who wanted to talk remember?”

“Maybe,” he countered taking a step towards her. “I just wanted to spend the night with my girlfriend.”

“You’re deflecting,” she pointed at him. “Is this about Tommy? Are you worried about him and Thea?”

“It’s not Tommy.”

“Then it’s the guy in the mask.”

“Can we just not for a little longer. I just need to take a few more minutes before we get into this.”

“You came over here to tell me,” she replied, taking a breath. “If you don’t want to, I get that. If it’s something to do with the Bratva and you need to distance those thoughts I understand.”

“It’s not,” he watched her closely, and took a deep breath. “It doesn’t have anything to do with the Bratva. I knew a man once who wore a mask like that. We met on Lian Yu.”

Felicity took a step back, not at the words per say, but at what they meant. Oliver barely talked about his time before they found him in Russia. She only knew so much as she was able to piece together. The boat going down, his father’s suicide, then Sara showing up once more. He didn’t volunteer the information, he kept all that stuff locked up, buried beneath the worst she’d seen of him. And she had just assumed he didn’t want to tell her how the darkness had first invaded him. 

She reached for him, placing a hand on his cheek and then pulling him into a tight embrace. “It’s okay. Take your time.”

\--- 

“You’re too good at this,” Tommy said, as he followed Thea up the trellis that connected to a low hanging roof at the back of the house.  “And I really don’t want to know why or how.”

Thea threw him a grin over her shoulder.  “I mean I do have a boyfriend… but he’s not here enough to sneak in.”  She climbed onto the roof and turned around. “Mostly this was used before my days of working at the club.  When I was a little more of a teenage delinquent.”

“You?” Tommy asked, mock horror in his voice.  “You’d never.” He reached the top of the trellis and pulled himself onto the roof.  “Seriously though, I feel like we could have just used the back stairs in the kitchen and been fine.”

“You’re the one that said you wanted to sneak in,” Thea countered.  “This is my very best ‘sneaking in’ tactic.” She turned her back, sliding open her bedroom window and climbing inside.

Tommy followed her, stepping into his sister’s bedroom.  It was the same as he remembered it looking, immaculately decorated by a stuffy, overpaid interior designer, with very few hints of the teenage girl underneath.  But when looked closer he saw them, smatterings of the young woman strewn across the room. A pair of too-high heels sitting just outside the closet door, a few outfits thrown haphazardly along the bench at the foot of the bed, several small containers of makeup on the vanity.  The room hinted at the girl to whom it belonged, without outright screaming it. Perhaps that said more about Thea than anything else.

“You can take the bed,” she said, gesturing to the queen size bed with a fluffy down comforter.  “I’ll probably sleep on the couch downstairs.”

But he shook his head in protest.  “I’m not taking your bed Speedy. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

Thea gave him a look, but didn’t argue.  “At least take the comforter. It’s fluffy enough to be a mattress.”

“Deal,” Tommy conceded.

She moved to the bed, stripping off the comforter.  Almost as an afterthought, she added, “You know if you told Laurel you were coming back, you could be sleeping in your own bed right now.”

Tommy blew out a long breath.  Oh, how he’d longed to tell Laurel he was coming back.  But this wasn’t back. It was a pitstop on the way to becoming whole again, on the way to being back for good.

“I told you, it’s-”

“Complicated, I know,” Thea said with an eyeroll.  She pushed the comforter into his arms and headed for her en-suite bathroom.  “All I’m saying is a girl like that doesn’t stick around for just anyone that ups and disappears for two months.” She shook her head and blew out a breath.  “You really are an idiot sometimes.” And then she closed the door between them.

Tommy wiped a hand down his face, as if he could rid himself of the growing feeling of frustration welling inside him.  Nyssa had brought him back for the sole purpose of seeing his loved ones before going to Japan. Did she think it was a suicide mission?  Or had she really just wanted to see Sara before they went? Perhaps it was a little of both. But why had she lied about the vial? Why had she wanted him to come home and see everyone, only to leave again?  There had to be something she was hiding, something else she hadn’t told him.

Laying the comforter out on the floor near Thea’s bed, Tommy grabbed a pillow and laid down, his mind still trying to piece through the events of the last few hours.  Tomorrow he would likely have Waller to contend with, and despite missing his job, Tommy wasn’t looking forward to explaining himself to the Director.

Thea emerged from the bathroom a few moments later, clicking off the light before Tommy heard the rustling of her bedsheets.  He rolled onto his back until he was staring up at the ceiling, watching the shadows dance across it as the wind blew through the trees outside.  They were both quiet for several moments and Tommy wasn’t sure if Thea was asleep or not, but there was one question eating away at him more than any of the others.

“Speedy?” he said quietly into the darkness.

“Hmm?” she hummed back.

“Back at the club,” he paused, not sure if this was the time or place.  But if for some reason going to Japan meant he might not get another chance, then he had to take it now.  “You said that there were questions you had. About Malcolm.”

More rustling of bedding and then Thea’s head popped over the side of the bed, chin resting on her hands as she propped herself up on her elbows.  And she looked so young then, that Tommy could almost forget the last five years and the toll they’d taken on every single one of them since the Gambit went down.

“You really want to talk about this?” she asked.

Tommy shrugged, sitting up.  “Do you?”

Thea blew out a breath and sat up too, patting the bed beside her before she pulled her fingers through her hair and swept her brown locks back into a messy ponytail.  Tommy moved up to sit beside her on the bed.  

“I mean, I know that he was never a good dad,” she said, and there was a timidness in her voice that Tommy wasn’t sure he’d ever heard before.  “But, I guess I just want to know. What parts of him are there in me?”

Tommy considered her question for a long moment.  The same question he’d asked himself a thousand times over.  He hoped that there was nothing of Malcolm inside himself, but of course there had been some similarities.  After all, half of his DNA was from the man, and despite Malcolm not being a good father, as Thea had said, it didn’t change the fact that for the majority of his life, Malcolm was the only parent he’d had.  Not counting Robert and Moira Queen. But that was another matter altogether.

“Thea…” he began, but he still wasn’t sure how to answer her.

She made a sound, something between a sigh and a laugh.  “Maybe I should start a little easier? What was he like?”

“Infuriating,” Tommy answered automatically.  “Cold and calculated. He never did anything without knowing the outcome first.  He didn’t open his heart up easily.” Tommy thought back to the time before his mother passed away.  Before everything changed. “He was different before…” He cleared his throat. “He doted on my mother.  Always buying her pretty things. Bringing home flowers and jewelry and dresses. The sun rose and set with her, I could see it in his eyes.  Even back then. Even as a kid, I could see how much he…”

Thea rested a hand on his arm, bringing Tommy back to the present.

“But after, he was a different person.  Withdrawn, absent. I spent more time here than at my own house.  You were too little to remember, but I lived here for months on end while he was away.”

“How do you think… I mean my mom and Malcolm…”

Tommy shrugged.  He’d wondered it himself a time or two.  How they’d been brought together, what had led them to find solace in each other’s arms.  “I’m sure it was some charity event or something. Didn’t she say that it was after she found out about an indiscretion of Robert’s?  Not that it makes any of this right but…”

“But without it there would be no me,” Thea huffed.  “So I guess I can’t fault them too much.”

“I think there is some of him in you.  Not the crazy… because I think losing my mom did most of that.  But the way you love, so fearlessly, so recklessly.”

“How would you know?”

“I’ve seen you with that boyfriend,” Tommy laughed.  “And even with Oliver, with your mom. Even after all the crap that’s been thrown at you, you still love with your whole heart.  Malcolm was like that once.”

Thea bit her bottom lip and in the dim light, Tommy couldn't tell if it was just that she was thinking, or that she was trying to keep from crying.

“There are other things too.  Your resilience, your doggedness.  You don’t let things go- you latch on and keep hold of the things that are important to you.  Malcolm’s grief twisted that into something grotesque. But in you? It’s something that will take you so far in life, if you let it.”

His sister let out a breath that she’d been holding.  “I think I was afraid to know if there was anything of him in me.  Because I didn’t want to…” her voice broke off.

“To turn out like him,” Tommy finished.  “I understand. For months, years even, I’ve wanted to bury anything in myself that was like him.  It wasn’t until,” he swallowed hard. “It wasn’t until he died and started haunting me that I realized it wasn’t the traits that were bad, but what his grief did to those traits.”

Thea nodded in understanding.  “I’m sorry he won’t leave you alone,” she said quietly.  “Do you think that’s why you didn’t want to tell Laurel you were back?”

“I’m not back, Speedy.  There’s still something I have to do before I can come back for good.  This was just a pitstop on the way.”

“You sure you and Ollie aren’t the ones who are related?” she asked with a huff.  “You’re both too stubborn for your own good.”

Tommy swung an arm around Thea’s shoulders and pulled her into his side.  She was crying now, silent tears slipping down her cheeks. “You know how back at the club, you said I was different?”

Thea nodded, her head still resting on his shoulder.

“You were right.  I am different, and it’s something I have to fix before I come back for good.  It’s not safe for me to be back yet, not for good.”

She pulled back far enough to meet his eyes, and then she reached over to the nightstand and grabbed her keys, dropping them into his palm.  “Different or not,” she said, leveling him with her best withering stare. “See Laurel before you go.”

Tommy drew in a ragged breath, looking down at the keys in his hand.  He’d thought he could get through this, coming back to Starling and not seeing anyone before he left again.  But spending these moments with Thea, it put something back together inside of him that he hadn’t realized was broken.  All at once he made the decision to go. He placed a quick kiss on Thea’s head before standing and making his way back to the window.  If he didn’t do it now, he’d lose his nerve. His heart swelled at the prospect. Holding Laurel in his arms, her head on his shoulder as they laid in his bed.  He needed it more than sunlight, more than sustenance, more than oxygen.

So Tommy climbed back out the window and down the trellis.  He climbed into Thea’s car, and he went home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Who's ready for a brand new chapter??? We have a special guest popping in this week. And let's just say I think you guys will really enjoy who it is. I won't keep you any longer. Let us know what you think.
> 
> xoxo,  
> Kayla

He wasn’t sure where to begin. Everything the island did to him, all the choices that time had forced into his soul, they were so embedded into a part of him. But that was also a part he didn’t like to think about. He didn’t want to remember the feeling of blisters forming on his hands as he dug in the dirt to bury his father. Or the slicing heat of the first arrow Yao Fei sent into him. When he looked at Felicity, when he remembered that she gave him a reason to do more than just survive, nothing from those first two years seemed to be that relevant. But if the mask was like she described, then something very sinister was on the horizon. And Oliver wasn’t sure he was ready to deal with it.

“You said you knew him on the island?” she prompted. Probably because he’d been standing dangerously still for around a minute. “As in past tense?”

He nodded, letting his gaze find her. But like always Felicity never seemed to flinch away from his words or the darkness that simmered under the surface. “We were friends, allies. I probably would have died half a million times if it wasn’t for him.”

“What happened to him?”

It was the part he didn’t want to say. Not because Felicity didn’t know he had killed before, or because he thought she couldn’t handle hearing the words. But because he still felt the weight of those choices. He still wondered if there had been another way. “I had to put an arrow in him. It was the only way.”

“Oliver…”

“I know it can’t be him,” he said taking a deep breath. “I know it, but when you described the mask, I just locked up. I couldn’t rely on many things when I was stuck there, but I relied on him. And then everything went to hell. I couldn’t save him, so I had to end him.”

“But I mean the mask could mean a million things. It might not even be that similar.”

“I looked over the security footage when I got back to the Foundry.” Oliver moved his hand until he found hers. “The coloring was different, but it was pretty damn close.”

“But he’s dead.”

“He had a partner.” He remembered Slade’s partner. The first person to ever torture him. “Billy Wintergreen. They both donned the same type of mask. But he’s dead too.”

“This island sounds like it was full of a lot of suck.”

He couldn’t help that the corners of his mouth turned up a little in a smile. Felicity had that effect on him, even in the midst of the darkness. 

“I mean I can relate, not to the torture obviously,” she said shaking her head. “But when I saw that code for the hack, I froze.”

“What do mean?”

“There’s only two people who ever saw that code besides me,” she let out a shaky breath. “And for a moment, even though I knew it was impossible, I thought my past had literally come back to haunt me. But it can’t be him, so I will focus on the other lead I have.”

He could see how much the hack had shaken her, and even if part of him wanted to press for more, he backed off. They both had some stake in this the other had no part in. Slade was Oliver’s demon to bury, he couldn’t ask Felicity to take it on while someone was out there hacking into the city like their own personal playground, toying with her as they did. He would deal with the masked man, and let Felicity hunt down the hacker. 

“I could do a search for this Billy guy? Maybe it could turn something up.”

He shook his head, his hand reaching for hers. “No it’s probably nothing. You know maybe I’m just looking for ghosts where there aren’t any.”

“And if instead it’s connected to the hack and Lawton?”

“How about,” he said, drawing her closer to him. “You focus on our hacker. If this masked guy is working with Deadshot he’ll turn up again. But until we have more to go on, we shouldn’t spread ourselves too thin.”

“Hey,” she said, placing a kiss to his cheek. “We will handle this. Like we always do.”

He smiled. “How are you so good at that?”

“At what?”

“I tell you the absolute worst of me, and you manage to bring out the very best.”

“Oliver,” she moved her hand to his hair, pushing it back a little. “You’ve got scars, physical and more. But you have to know by now that doesn’t make you broken or damaged, it makes you someone who’s stronger than the things that tried to take you down. And you already know how much I love you.”

“I love you too,” he kissing her hand as it stopped on his cheek. “Today has been a lot.”

She nodded in agreement. “So much.”

“But at least Tommy’s back.”

She nodded again, but Oliver could see how it didn’t exactly hold the same. 

“Felicity,” he pressed. “You know he’s only doing what he thinks he has to.”

“He didn’t even try to come to us with this. Doesn’t that bug you?”

“I’m the last person who gets to take a moral high ground when it comes to telling the truth,” he shrugged. “And I get why he did what he did, Felicity. If it was me? If I had lost someone… like that. I would have left too. And I don’t know what could have brought me back.”

“But according to him he’s not back yet.”

“We’ll get him there,” he said with a nod. “I don’t care how long it takes, I don’t care what I have to do, I’m going to help him through this. We will help him through.”

“See,” she nudged him gently. “You talk me down just as much as I talk you down.”

“We make quite a pair then.”

“Good thing I found you in that cafe in Russia,” she teased, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

He quirked his brow giving her a grin. “I think if you remember correctly, I’m the one who found you.”

“Semantics,” she leaned in, kissing him softly on the lips. “Why is it the second something happens in this city, the day seems three times as long?”

“It’s a gift and a curse of the life we’ve chosen,” he said with a quick kiss to her cheek. “You should get some sleep.”

“I’m not too tired to have missed the distinct lack of ‘we’ in that statement. Should I be concerned?”

Oliver sighed. “There’s something I’ve got to take care of. I’ll be back before morning.”

“Oliver…”

“It’s not dangerous,” he said, placing his hand on her cheek. “I’m just gonna go talk to an old friend. I promise I’ll keep out of trouble.”

“Be careful,” she slid from his hands, but smiled. “Tell Sara I said hello.”

“Sleep well,” he replied. 

He didn’t question how Felicity knew exactly where he planned to go, but he loved that they were close enough to know each other that well. He didn’t know what he’d tell Sara, but he needed to see her nonetheless.

He walked along the top floor of Verdant, seeing his friend leaning over the railing. She was tracking the floor below. And if Oliver wasn’t mistaken, he was sure the Canary was close to making another appearance in the Glades that night. 

“Hey,” he said coming to stand next to her. 

Even over the crowd and the music, Sara seemed to know exactly when he came into range of her. 

“If this is your way of softening the blow about Nyssa being in town, you’re too late,” she turned to him with a smirk. “I already caught up with her.”

“Friendly chat?”

Sara narrowed her eyes at him, and Oliver held his hands up in surrender. 

“Should we be worried,” Oliver tried again. “About Tommy coming back to town with her in tow?”

“If you mean, should we be worried about the League potentially following them I’d say no,” she replied. “I already asked Nyssa. Ra’s isn’t interested in sending members after Tommy. As long as Nyssa returns, then Starling is safe from assassins.”

“I’m sorry,” he took a deep breath. “I can see how you are when she’s around. I know you love her.”

“Ollie, please don’t.”

He didn’t want to press. He and Sara were so similar in the way they viewed the world, and he couldn’t spook her away when he might need her the most. “I was afraid you might leave with her when she goes.”

“I can’t leave my dad and Laurel. I don’t think they’d be okay without me.”

“Quentin and Laurel are strong, and they’d want you to be happy.”

She slipped her eyes closed, and he saw the pain fighting it’s way through her resolve. “I know they look strong, but trust me Ollie, they’re so much alike. And if they lose me again, I’m afraid they wouldn’t survive it.”

“Okay,” he said. He didn't want to press. And besides he had more things to deal with. “Because there’s something else I need to tell you.”

“What, something worse than the League?”

“Maybe,” he shook his head and leaned against the rail. “There’s a chance we have trouble from our past coming back to haunt us.”

Sara shot him a confused look. “What are you talking about?”

“I think someone who knew Slade Wilson is running around the city with a black and orange mask and threatening to slice people in two.”

“Slade is--”

“Dead,” he cut her off, watching the crowd of club goers. “I made sure of that myself.”

“No offense Ollie, but that island wasn’t very good at killing things that needed to go.”

“Hope you’re not lumping yourself into that list?”

“I’m just saying,” she replied, though he noticed she didn’t answer his question. “The dead don’t always stay that way. We’re both living proof of that.”

“I’m gonna look into it in the morning. Track his old unit with ASIS,” Oliver groaned, the hours of the day finally weighing down on him. “Hopefully I can find out something.”

“You’re gonna have Felicity hack the Australian Secret Intelligence Service? How many international crimes do you ask your girlfriend to commit on a regular basis?”

“Felicity’s not looking into this.”

“Why not?”

“Because until I know what we’re dealing with I’m not going to drag her into the darkest parts of what that island did to us,” he said as he looked away. “Besides like I said, Slade is dead. This is probably nothing.”

“I hope to hell you’re right. Because the last thing this city needs is that kind of darkness seeping into it.”

“I know,” he nodded. “Trust me I know.”

She was quiet for a long while, but Oliver watched as her eyes tracked a group of guys near the back of the club. 

“Whatever they’re doing, you could just call the cops,” he said, keeping his voice low. “Doesn’t have to be a vigilante thing.”

Sara shook her head. “Watched those three try and assault a couple of twelve year olds this afternoon. If Digg and I hadn’t been out on that lead, they would have done something.”

“Sara--”

“I’m not staying in Starling to sit at home and hear about tragedies on the evening news,” she cut him off with a sharp glare. “I have an army of ghosts to atone for, so if I can save enough lives to cancel those out, I’ll sleep better at night.”

“You shouldn’t go out alone,” he added, knowing she wouldn’t listen. “If something happened to you… You just said you’re family wouldn’t survive it.”

She shrugged pushing herself away from him. She smiled at him before she spoke. “Don’t worry about me, Ollie. I’m good on my own.”

She left shortly after and Oliver sighed as he watched her slip out of the back of the club. Truth was he didn’t worry that Sara couldn’t hold her own out there. She could handle herself better than he could. But the weight of those souls, the ones she was trying to save, he knew from experience that even losing one would hurt worse than the ghosts of the dead. And he didn’t want Sara to go through that pain. 

Oliver was ready to head home, back to bed and back to Felicity, when his phone rang. If the caller ID read anyone else he would have ignored it, but Thea’s name flashed and he hit accept.

“Everything okay?” he asked moving out into the night air. “Is Tommy okay?”

“You should really work on how you answer the phone,” she snarked. “Tommy’s fine, I mean I assume so. I sent him to talk to Laurel.”

“That’s not the best idea, Speedy.”

“Look I get that everyone thinks keeping secrets is  _ for the best _ ,” she said a bit mocking. “But as a person who gets left out of the loop a lot, it sucks. Laurel deserves to know. And it will be less painful the sooner he tells her.”

“Thea…”

“And I stuck a tracker I nicked off Felicity in his shoe,” she added with a huff. “If he gets into trouble, you can find him.”

“Fair enough. Is that why you called me at nearly two in the morning?” Oliver made his way to his bike. 

“Actually no,” he could hear Thea sigh, and it took her another beat before she spoke again. “Look I didn’t want to bring this up until it became a thing, and apparently it’s a thing now.”

“Bring what up?”

“Roy keeps poking around the vigilantes,” she said in a quick burst. “I’ve told him to leave it alone, but it’s not having the positive effect I was hoping for.”

“Want me to shoot him with an arrow?”

“First, you better be joking,” she paused. “And second, I was kinda hoping you’d just talk to him. Not  _ you, _ you. But the greener, more grrr you.”

“Thea I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Well then he’s gonna end up wandering into the Foundry and discover everyone’s super secret, which would also be a bad idea,” she replied. “Come on Ollie, just one talk. Tell him you appreciate the fanatics, but to leave the heroics to the pros.”

“Says the girl who’s been itching to get into the pros?”

“Call me a hypocrite all you want, but I want Roy to be safe. Please?”

He knew he couldn’t hang up until he agreed to something, even if it all sounded like a colossally bad idea. “If I say I’ll think about it, will you let me hang up so I can go home and sleep?”

“Yes,” she said and he could practically hear the smile in her voice. “Thank you Ollie.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t thank me yet. I still might shoot him.”

\---

Tommy’s hand shook as he lifted the keys from his pocket.  He’d been careful to avoid the cameras in his building, his coat collar up and a baseball cap from Thea’s back seat over his head- if for nothing else than he really didn’t want any media coverage of his ‘homecoming’ when it wasn’t one.  He was back just to see the people he loved before heading to Japan for the Lotus. The least he could do was keep the media frenzy from stirring up again.

His resolve had weakened every mile back into Starling he got, and by the time he parked outside his building, Tommy had half a mind to turn right around and head back to the Queen Manor.  Because what if Laurel screamed at him for leaving? What if she stonewalled him, and refused to even speak to him at all? Worse still- what if she was completely apathetic about it all and didn’t care that he was back?

“Pull yourself together,” Tommy chided under his breath.  Because surely, Laurel wouldn’t have asked Oliver to trade off nights in Tommy’s apartment if she didn’t care whether or not he came back.  Right?

With a deep exhale, Tommy unlocked the door and twisted the knob.  The door gave under his hand with no noise, allowing him entrance almost silently.  Despite the late hour, lights were still on in the small dining area, and in the bedroom.  He’d barely gotten the door closed, when she swept out of the bedroom, wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt of his.  Her hands were in her hair, pulling it back into a bun.

“I thought we said I was taking this week?” Laurel said, her eyes barely skimming across him on her way to her work still scattered on the dining room table.

“Laurel…” Her name was an incantation on his lips.  A prayer he hadn’t allowed himself in months.

Across the room, she froze, hands still behind her head.  Her eyes scanned back across the space, landing on squarely on him and Tommy could see, with absolute clarity, the moment it all fell into place in her brain.  He pulled the baseball cap off, letting her get full view of his face.

She blinked, several times in rapid succession, and then shook her head, as if to clear the apparition.  Laurel took a stuttering step toward him when he didn’t vanish, and then launched herself into his arms, burying her head in the crook of his neck.

“Tommy,” she breathed, holding onto him like an anchor in a storm.  Her lips pressed against the hollow of his throat where she found his pulse, and then again at his jaw, his cheek, and finally his lips.  Tears slipped down her cheeks, and he wiped them away with his thumbs as his hands cupped her face.

“Hey,” he cooed, breaking the kiss, but keeping their faces close.  “It’s okay,” he whispered.

Laurel swallowed hard, nodding against him.  “Is it… really you?” she asked, her voice more raw and hollow than he’d ever heard it.  And it filletted his heart more than leaving her had already done.

“It’s me,” he confirmed, pulling her against his chest and wrapping his arms tightly around her.  “It’s really me,” he whispered again and again, as her body crumpled against him. Tommy held her, stroking her hair and letting her calm against him.  He breathed in the luscious scent of her shampoo, cradling her head against him as he ran his fingers through her hair.  

After several long, quiet moments, Laurel disentangled herself from him, rubbing a hand across her face and clearing her throat.  Her eyes were on the ground, avoiding his.

“Laurel?  What is it?”

She stiffened, and then sniffed.  “I didn’t mean to just fall apart on you,” she said, finding his eyes finally.  “I had a glass of wine earlier and I think it went to my head. My emotions are a little out of whack.”

“It’s fine,” he said, taking a small step toward her.  “I’m just…” he paused, swallowing hard. “I’m just glad I got to see you.”

Her gaze shifted back to him, and hardened, but she didn’t say anything.

Tommy scraped his nails across his scalp, trying to clear the fog from his own head.  There was so much he wanted to tell her, so much he needed to say. But already the words were coming out wrong.  Laurel didn’t speak, giving him time to get his thoughts coherently together. He’d known it wouldn’t be easy- seeing her again, explaining everything.  But he didn’t think it would be this hard.

“Can we sit?” he asked, gesturing to the couch.

Laurel’s expression softened a fraction, and she nodded, leading the way into the living room.  She moved herself to one side of the sofa, tucking her legs up and hugging them to her chest, quickly putting distance between them.  Tommy sat at the other end, turning to face her.

She watched him expectantly, like she was trying to figure out what he was going to say, before he said it.  Tommy had seen her do this exact thing in the courtroom countless times. She did it to size up her opponents.  But Tommy didn’t want to be on opposite sides here.

He pushed out a breath and met her eyes.  “Oliver told me that you guys were switching off staying here.”  It wasn’t what he wanted to say, but he knew he had to start somewhere.

Laurel nodded.  “At first it was so someone would be here when you got back, so you wouldn’t have to be alone.  And then, when it seemed like you weren’t coming back at all, it was like my own personal therapy, being around your stuff.  It let me trick myself into thinking you weren’t so far away. That you could just walk back in at any moment, like none of this had happened.”

“I’m so sor--”

“Tommy,” she said, interrupting him.  “You don’t have anything to apologize for.”  She swallowed hard. “I thought we were passed all of that?”

He nodded, chewing on his response.  Perhaps at one time they’d been passed apologizing.  But he had so much more to apologize for now. So much that he could probably never actually atone for it all.  But he knew that he’d try.

“You might not think that after I tell you what I have to tell you,” he breathed, avoiding her gaze. He wanted to look at her, to commit every plane of her face and every freckle to memory, because who knew when he’d see her again. But he couldn’t bring himself to meet her eyes. 

“What is it?” she asked, and although her tone wasn’t hard, it wasn’t exactly soft either. 

“This is just a pit stop,” he said, playing with a loose string on the pillow in his lap. “Nyssa and I are headed out. To find the one thing that may make it safe for me to come home again. For good.”

“This is about what they did to you, isn’t it? What they gave you?”

Tommy nodded, finally looking up to meet her eyes. “Please don’t blame them. Not Sara or Nyssa or Oliver. What they did… it brought me back to life.” He swallowed hard, pausing to find the right words. “But it twisted something inside me, and where I’ve just spent the last two months… it helped.  It loosened the knot of it, but it didn’t straighten me out. It didn’t fix me like I need fixing.” Tommy reached for her hand. “Laurel, I’m not safe to be around. And I could never forgive myself if I ever did something to hurt you.”

She pushed out a breath.  “So you’re leaving again,” she said, matter-of-factly.

“I am.”

Silence stretched between them for a few long moments.  Tommy kept his eyes glued to her; now that he was here, sitting just within arm’s reach of Laurel, the ache within him swelled.  “Say something,” he requested softly. “Please.”

Laurel fidgeted with the hem of the t-shirt she had on.  It was one he’d had forever- since high school probably, and he remembered how much she loved the softness of it.  How many times had she stolen it to sleep in when she’d stayed at his place? Enough for him to know that it no longer belonged to him.  Not really. But Tommy would give up that and so much more to make her happy. Was that even a possibility anymore, with the broken girl staring back at him?  He knew he’d hurt her more than anyone who claims to love someone had a right to hurt a person. But he also knew that he couldn’t make it right until he fixed himself.

“I’m tired, Tommy,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded, trying to find sense in her words.  Did she want him to leave? To put all of this on the back burner until she had a chance to sleep?

She stood without another word, and took a few hesitant steps.  She paused beside him, and Tommy looked up at her, swallowing hard.  Silently, Laurel reached out her hand, clasping his and leading him from the couch, back toward the bedroom.

Tommy let her move them through the space, his heart hammering in his chest and his breath caught in his throat.  It was amazing, what the small contact of their hands intertwined could do to him. She paused in the doorway of the bedroom and turned back to him.  Her expression was unreadable, but if he had to guess, he’d imagined it was something akin to his own. Exhausted, not wanting to fight, unwilling to be apart for the small amount of time they had together.  He hadn’t told her how long he was in town, or where they were headed, or why he suspected Nyssa had really wanted to come back to Starling. The danger of the mission they were embarking on. There were still so many things left that needed to be said.

But instead, Tommy let Laurel slip her hands under his coat and push it down off his arms, until it fell in a pile on the floor, right there in the hall.  He watched her with equal parts fascination and reverence, utterly positive that he’d never done anything to deserve this beautiful woman, who was putting aside so much to be with him.

His eyes searched her face, for any flash of hesitation or reservation, but there was none.  Laurel pushed herself up onto her tiptoes, her lips finding his in the dimly lit space of threshold of the bedroom.  It was all the invitation Tommy needed to pull her into his arms, lifting her from the floor and walking until he hit the bed, sending them both tumbling to the mattress, still intertwined, where they’d spend as much time as they could seeking comfort and solace and reprieve- offering each other adulation and devotion and love until the world inevitably came calling in the morning.

\---

The sun filtered through her window. Felicity could feel the heat of the rays hitting her shoulder and back, but she refused to turn to the morning light. She was far too comfortable sleeping. 

She could feel a tug of the sheets next to her, as the bed dipped. She peeked open one eye as Oliver settled back in next to her.

“Tell me you didn’t just get back,” she murmured, as he shifted to look at her. “Because I don’t really want to pull the concerned girlfriend card, and remind you that sleep is just as important as any lead you might get.”

He chuckled as his hand moved to tuck her hair behind her ear. “I got in around three.”

“And it would be what time now?”

“A little after eight,” he replied. “I got up an hour ago for a run.”

“If I didn’t love you so much I might call you crazy,” she moved to sit up, watching him as she did. She could see the rest of what he wanted to say on his face. “How’s Tommy?”

“He’s with Laurel.” 

She narrowed her eyes and quirked her head. “And you know that how?”

“Thea stole one of your trackers and put it in his shoe. I stopped by the Foundry on my run to make sure he was still there.”

She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Those Queen family genes are really strong with you two. I’ll have to remind her stealing from friends isn’t nice.”

“But it came in handy.”

“Almost like she’s destined to be a team member.”

Oliver groaned. “I’m not having this conversation.”

“I’m just saying, with the proper training,” she nestled closer to him, her hand gliding around his neck, to bury into his hair. “With you guiding her, she could be, not just an asset, but someone else to rely on.”

“We have Digg,” he said, his eyes slipping closed as her face moved closer. “And Sara.”

She kissed him softly, with a smile. “Sara’s amazing, a total badass, but she’s not always about the group activity.”

“And Thea’s  _ great  _ at following orders.”

“Maybe she would be if you didn’t make them seem like orders,” she challenged. “You don’t give John orders and I have never seen you try to tell Sara what to do. Plus you wouldn’t dare give me an order.”

“Because you could do a hell of a lot worse to me than punching me in the face.”

“I know,” she smiled, as he looked at her again. “I’m saying that Thea could be apart of a team, not just someone who worked under us.”

“She’s a kid, Felicity,” he shook his head. “She’s my little sister, and she's already been through a hell of a lot this year. I don’t…”

“What?”

“I don’t want her to see this as a healthy outlet for trauma,” he dropped his gaze and Felicity found her hand going to his. “I didn’t start this as some kind of inspirational journey you know? The plan was never heal the city and then myself.”

“It worked though,” she countered, giving him a gentle smile. “You don’t carry the same weight you did when you first came back. And hell, you, me, Digg, even Tommy, we went through a lot of emotional stuff, but we’ve helped so many people since then. You should give Thea a chance to try.”

“That’s different, we… we had to suffer so much to get to that point. And Thea she’s… she’s better than I am. She deserves better.”

“Oliver,” she moved his head until they were eye to eye. “Thea is strong, she’s fierce,  she’s resilient. She has this fire in her, this need to help people. And I get that you don’t want her to get hurt. But if you aren’t the one encouraging her to do this, she’s just gonna do it anyway. Wouldn’t you rather teach her the right way?”

“I’d rather she never have to feel like the world needed saving.”

“She may be your little sister,” Felicity said. “But she’s not a kid anyone. She knows how this world is. She knows that there are people who will use their pain and and twist it to do evil things. And she wants to help you stop those people. It’s kinda amazing.”

“I feel like this is one of those things you’re going to keep bringing up until I come around to the idea,” he muttered. “Did she pay you to bring this up?”

“Do you think I could be swayed by something as simple as money?” she teased.

“Probably not,” he replied with a grin. “I will talk about it with her later. But until then…”

Oliver stood from the bed keeping hold of Felicity’s hand as he tugged her along. 

“No,” she protested. “You just got to bed.”

“Actually I just came back in here to wake you up,” he said. Felicity was kneeling on the bed now, and Oliver put his hands on her waist, moving into her. “I thought we could go get breakfast before we checked in on Tommy.”

“Breakfast in bed is so much more fun though,” she replied kissing him quickly. “And clothing is always optional.”

“As tempting as that sounds, and it does sound great,” he paused, still smiling at her. “If we don’t leave this apartment, we won’t get any work done today.”

The previous night flashed through her mind, Lawton. The weird sword wielding mask guy. Not to mention whoever locked her out of the city’s grid. Felicity felt the annoyance already begin to grow over the new mysteries. She had to get to the bottom of things. Too many people would be at risk if she didn’t. 

“We need to see if we can narrow down whoever hired Lawton to come back to town,” she sighed. “I don’t like that particular smoking gun on the loose.”

“Agreed, but you should let John track those leads down,” he said. “I think our best route right now is keeping you on hacker trail.”

“But what about the guy in the mask? And Lawton and the hack happening in the same night? None of this feels very coincidental Oliver.”

“I know but if we all split the tasks maybe we’ll get to the bottom of things faster.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “You are aware I can run more than one computer search at a time, right?”

“Yes I am well aware of your many,” he grinned. “Many talents. But for now, let’s break up the workload. Besides Deadshot is personal for Digg. And I think he needs this.”

“Okay, I will concede to your points, which I must admit are pretty thought out.”

“You’ll start looking for ways of finding the hacker?”

“Yes I will.” 

“But first,” he leaned closer as he kissed along her neck. “Breakfast.”

“And coffee?”

“Of course coffee,” he replied. “I’m not a monster.”

She was tempted to let him continue along her neck, but before she could even try to make a grab for his hair her phone rang.

“Hold that thought.” 

She gave him a quick kiss and reached back for her cell. Oliver followed her movements, hovering just close enough that she could feel the heat from his body begging to connect with hers. She wanted to just fall right back into him. As she picked up her phone, she resisted the urge to groan.

She plastered a smile on her face, forcing the cheer a little. “Hello, Mom.”

“Baby, it’s been forever.”

“We talked a week ago,” Felicity replied moving out of Oliver’s gravitational pull. She loved him, but she couldn’t be on the phone with her mother and that close to her shirtless boyfriend. It was a recipe for disaster. Plus Donna Smoak could suss out a half naked man from 3,000 miles away. Felicity was sure of it. “But it’s good to hear your voice.”

“I won’t keep you long, I just wanted to check that your apartment number is 320?”

“Yeah has been for…” Felicity trailed off as a million possibilities ran through her head at once. “Why?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Mom.”

“Why can’t you let me do something nice?”

“Mother.”

“Fine,” Donna groaned. “I am on my way, I just got a cab, and I will be there in 20 minutes. You take all the fun out of surprises.”

“I’m sorry, I just got up,” Felicity pinched the bridge of her nose. “It sounded like you said you were here, in Starling City?”

“Well that is where my only daughter lives.”

“Mom I--”

“I have to go sweetheart, I’ll see you soon.”

Donna hung up before Felicity could protest. She couldn’t be in town, this was some twisted dream Felicity would wake up from any second. She had to.

“Did you just say your mom’s in town?” 

Oliver’s words pulled her out of her spiral and Felicity let herself fall back on the bed. She had three potentially dangerous problems they had to defuse in order to keep the city relatively safe. The last thing she needed right now was to be this kind of distracted. 

“I think I’d rather deal with Amanda Waller again than my mother.”

“She cannot be  _ that _ bad.”

But Oliver didn’t get it, he really didn’t understand how every carefully constructed thing in her life felt like it was about to topple over like some intense game of Jenga. 

Felicity rose up quickly surveying the bedroom. “Frak, frak, frak.”

“What’s wrong?”

“We have to clean,” she said as she stood and ran towards the living room.

“I’m sorry? Clean?”

“More specifically we have to get your  _ you  _ things out of the apartment.”

“What?”

Felicity paused in front of him taking a deep breath. She had been waiting for the right time for this, but none of them ever seemed like the  _ right  _ time. “If my mother sees your things she’ll know you stay over a lot. Which means she’ll know we’re dating.”

“And that’s a bad thing because?”

“Because I never told her I was dating someone.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lovelies!
> 
> Hello again. Do you feel like we're hitting a groove here? Fun things happening, crazy killers on the loose. Donna Smoak showing up. What could possibly go wrong, right? Well, you're going to find out! Lots of goodness on the horizon. We hope you like where this ride is headed.
> 
> Enjoy!   
> Cassie

Oliver scratched nails across the stubble on his chin as he looked at Felicity.  There would be time to deal with the obvious ‘why haven’t you told your mother about me’ question later.  Although if he were being honest, he hadn’t explicitly told his own mother about Felicity either. They busied themselves around the apartment, picking up his articles of clothing that had been haphazardly strewn after countless long days and eager nights.  Once it was all dumped into her bedroom closet Oliver found himself looking at her expectantly.

“What?” Felicity said with a shrug.

“You know this isn’t the best time for a visit,” he said, his mind already running back to the man in the mask, and Deadshot.  Plus there was everything going on with Tommy and Thea wanting to join the team and--

“It’s not like I invited her,” Felicity said, flustered.  “This is just what she does. She loves to upend things with unexpected trips or visits.  In eighth grade, she decided we were going to take a trip to the Grand Canyon the day before a huge science fair I’d been prepping for for months.  She’d just gotten this huge tip from a high roller at the casino she’d been working on at the time, and--” she broke off. “I’m rambling. Sorry. She just has this way… well, you’ll see.”

A knock sounded on the front door.

“Fraak,” Felicity exclaimed, eyes widening in horror.  “You have to go out the window.”

“What?” Oliver said, with a disbelieving laugh.

Felicity pushed him toward the window that led to the fire escape.  “I told you, she doesn’t know I’m dating anyone. Now that I think about it, I’m not even sure I told her that Carter and I broke up.  So you, being here. Not something I’m looking to explain right now.”

“Felicity?!” her mother’s voice sang through the door.  “Yoo-hoo! Hello!”

Oliver narrowed his eyes at her, crossing his arms over his chest.  If he’d wanted to stay rooted in place, they both knew there’d be no budging him.  “You know, I’m usually doing this in reverse. It’s not often I’m climbing out of windows.”

“Yeah, and you’re usually doing it in a hood.  Come on,” Felicity said in an impatient whisper, urging him toward the window again.  “From what I’ve heard from Tommy about high school, you should be a pro at this.”

He couldn’t help it, Oliver huffed a laugh and pulled the window open.  He climbed halfway out and stopped, reaching for Felicity’s hand and pulling her toward him.  Their mouths connected in a quick, easy kiss, which ended entirely too soon for Oliver’s liking.  He held her against him, even as her mother knocked on the door again.

“Felicity?” she called.  “Is there someone in there with you?”

“Coming!” Felicity called, pressing another quick kiss to his lips before pushing him the rest of the way through the window.  “I’ll call you,” she whispered, and then pulled the window closed between them.

Oliver zipped his hoodie up halfway and sunk his hands into his pockets.  But before he could move off the platform of the fire escape, he heard a squeal that caused him to turn back.  From the living room window, he could see Felicity in a tight embrace with a woman that was both blonde and about the same size as her.  It was unmistakably her mother, and Oliver found himself smiling at the unabashed glee on her face as she looked over her daughter.

He dropped out of view, feeling too much like a voyeur to stay, and descended the rest of the way to the alley below in silence.  Even though he’d run earlier that morning, the air was still brisk and chilled, especially between the buildings where the sun hadn’t warmed the pavement yet.  Oliver found his way to his car and drove across town to the Glades, parking in the garage for the Foundry behind Verdant.  

His mind was too concerned with the events of the last twenty four hours to focus on much else besides Tommy being back and whoever the man in the mask was.  His gut was still trying to force the idea that it was somehow Slade, back from the dead, but Oliver’s mind was having a hard time imagining how it would be possible.  He still felt the weight of the arrow in his hand, the force he’d used to drive it down into Slade Wilson’s eye. He still swallowed back bile when he pictured it in his mind, still found himself wondering if maybe there had been another option.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs behind him.  Oliver was up and out of Felicity’s chair, pen gripped in his hand like a weapon before he could even force himself to stop.  Sara stopped halfway down the long staircase, hands raised in defense, an amused pout on her lips.

“I come in peace,” she deadpanned, continuing the rest of the way down the stairs.  “I caught my heel on the top landing. You must have been pretty deep in thought to have not heard me up there.”

Oliver shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts away.  He dropped the pen to his side, and fell back into the chair, defeated.  He spun around to the computer monitor and felt Sara come up beside him.

“That’s him, huh?” she asked, her eyes trained on the grainy image from the night before.  The footage was playing on a loop, but it looked more like a thousand still images put together.  A stop motion video of a man that could possibly be Slade, but there was nothing defining about the man in a mask.  The camera must have been ancient, or wasn’t calibrated to work at night, because the footage was impossible to make out anything about the man.

“Who knows who that is,” Oliver sighed.  “Car has no plates, and it literally vanished in a cloud of smoke before my eyes last night.”  He opened a new search window, hoping for some information on Billy Wintergreen, or the ASIS task force the two had been assigned to.  Felicity would be more adept at this, he knew. But she had enough going on, and besides, his time with Amanda Waller and ARGUS hadn’t been for nothing, so he dug around as much as he could.

Sara turned around to face him, leaning against the desk.  “Ollie,” she began. But she didn’t continue until he stopped typing and looked up at her.  “I know you said Felicity isn’t looking into this. But don’t you think--”

“Felicity is busy right now,” he said.  “And before she and Digg got involved in this, I was planning on running things solo.  I know what I’m doing.”

She crossed her arms over her chest.  “Just be careful,” she sighed. “Keeping secrets might be the name of this game we play every night.  But keeping them from the people closest to us will only ever blow up and hurt everyone in the end.”

Oliver knew she was speaking from experience.  But whether she meant the secret they’d kept from Laurel all those years ago when they’d snuck off together on the Gambit, or something else she’d kept from someone along the way, he couldn’t be sure.

Even still, he couldn’t bring himself to answer her.  So he merely nodded his head, and waited until she pushed up off the desk and walked away before going back to work.  He hit one dead end after another with ASIS and he wondered if he’d have to let Felicity in on it after all. Glancing back over the video footage, Oliver did a deep dive into the Mercedes on screen.  It was an expensive car, and even through the grainy footage he could see at least some of the modification work that had been done to it. Sooner or later he would come across a paper trail that would lead him to something.  Or hopefully, someone.

“Since you’ve already got what Felicity would call your grumpy face on,” Sara called, picking up a bo staff and swinging it around theatrically.  “Can we talk about your sister?”

Oliver’s eyes slid across the space to land on Sara.  The computer was already running its search, and he couldn’t stand the idleness anymore.  He pushed away from the desk and unzipped his hoodie, letting it fall into the empty chair as he made his way toward her.  The run had done him good, but he still had tension built up over everything else. He picked up two escrima sticks halfway toward her and swung them, getting a feel for their weight.

Not slowing as he approached, Oliver swung, connecting the stick in his right hand with Sara’s staff.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Oliver said, swinging one after another.  They parried back and forth, like swordsmen, advancing and retreating in step.

“You know she’s got the stubbornness of Moira and Malcolm combined,” Sara said, knocking the stick from Oliver’s left hand.  “She’s not going to back down.”

“And I don’t think she belongs down here.  She’s got her whole life ahead of her.”  

Oliver advanced, and with one solid blow, broke the wooden staff in two.  Sara glanced between the two halves of the staff, and grinned. She jabbed at him with her left, before spinning around and hitting him in the ribs with her right.

“I’d say I’ll fight you for it, but we both know I’d beat you,” Sara said, as they moved in tandem, back and forth trying to get the upper hand.

He barked a laugh in reply, stepping to the left once, twice, until he reached the stick she’d knocked out of his hand.  He dove for it, kicking a foot out at the same time, hoping to knock her off her feet. But Sara jumped deftly into the air, flipping feet over head until she landed almost silently a few feet away.

What  _ had _ she learned in Nanda Parbat?  Oliver prided himself on holding his own in a fight, but in all his years, he’d never seen anyone fight the way Sara and Nyssa did.  Would Tommy possess some of those same skills now? Oliver fought back a shudder at the thought-- the darkness inside his friend combined with skills like that.  They  _ really _ had to find a way to fix whatever that Lazarus Pit water had done to him.  It was promising that Nyssa thought they’d found something that would work. But Oliver wasn’t naive enough to think that it would come without cost.

“Maybe we should let Thea’s life decisions rest on something a little more substantial than a sparring match,” Oliver said, dodging Sara’s sudden burst of strength toward him.

But she didn’t slow.  She charged forward, blow after blow connecting with the sticks in his hand, the force of them pushing him further back each time.  Her motions nearly blurred with supernatural speed as she advanced on him. He anticipated most of them, but she was getting in enough jabs to leave bruises, he was sure.  And just when he thought she would jab left, Sara swept her leg out, pulling his feet from under him. He laid there flat on his back as the jagged ends of her bo staff pieces came to rest against his chest.

“I’m just saying, I know how much Thea means to you,” Sara said, eyes boring holes into him, her breathing elevated, but nothing like the gasps he was pulling in.  “And you know how good I am.” She put both pieces of her staff in one hand, and extended the other to Oliver, helping him to his feet. “It’s a dangerous world we live in, Ollie.  And being your sister means she’s in this, whether you want her to be or not. Sooner or later your identity is going to come out. And when it does, everyone you care about is going to be at risk.  Wouldn't you rather Thea be able to hold her own against the darkness that we both know is out there?”

Oliver moved toward the small fridge in the space, pulling out two waters and handing one to Sara.  “You aren’t going to let this go, are you?” he asked, turning to face her again. He paused, and then sighed.  “I’m not saying yes to her joining the team. But you’re probably right about being able to defend herself. Starling isn’t the same place it was when we left five years ago.”

Images flashed through his mind.  Not just of Thea, but of Felicity, his mother, and of William and Samantha.  His life, his secret, it had the ability to hurt so many people he loved. And that was why he needed to know exactly who the man in the black and orange mask was.  Because if they had anything to do with Slade Wilson, Oliver knew that whatever was coming was only going to get worse.

\---

He woke with a start, the dreams still fresh and violent behind his eyes. So many people, so much anguish and blood spilling out on his own hands, and he couldn’t see a way to ever stop it.

_ It’s foolish to try.  _ Malcolm’s voice came in a faint whisper through his mind. 

Tommy shook his head, lifting his gaze across the room. While he didn’t see his father sitting there, he knew he wouldn’t last long without a permanent solution to the Lazarus Pit. He was starting to feel the reprieve falter already. It usually lasted longer than a few days. A week or two at least. And that’s what worried him the most. If the effects were wearing off sooner than they used to, there wouldn’t be a way to sustain things without the Lotus. 

“Tommy?” 

Laurel’s hand reached over, wrapping around his forearm. He felt himself go still under her touch. He didn’t dare move too fast or jerk away. He couldn’t risk hurting her. 

“Bad dream,” he managed to say, as he gently pulled away from her. “I just need some java.”

She seemed to see his discomfort, and pulled her legs up to her chest, eyeing him. “Are you still hearing him?”

Tommy froze, her words cutting more than he knew she meant to. He forgot he had told her about Malcolm, or at least that he had tried to tell her. Back before he understood what had happened, before leaving was the only way to keep things under control.

“Sometimes,” he said, running his hand through his hair. “Sometimes it’s like a whisper, other times I can’t focus on anything but his voice.”

“Did going away…” she trailed off and tommy could hear the anxiety lacing her words. He didn’t need to meet her eyes to know she was struggling with how to word what she wanted to say. “Did it help at all?”

He ached to tell her the truth. To unburden himself from every terrible things he had to do while seeking solace at Nanda Parbat. He knew if he told her, if he explained the darkest parts of it, that she’d see past them. She loved him as much as he loved her, and there wasn’t anything on the planet that could turn him away from her. 

But this wasn’t easy. He felt those souls clawing at his own, threatening to drag him down along with them. And until they got the Lotus, he feared he would only pull Laurel right along with him. 

“I don’t want to lie to you,” he replied, ducking his head away. “But part of the reason I have to go again, is because of what happened while I was there.”

“Tommy, whatever it is, I can handle it.”

“I know you can,” he nodded, letting his gaze find hers once more. “I’m the one who can’t. I’m the one who has to sort out what’s going on in my head before I--” he cut himself off with a deep breath. “You have to trust that it isn’t that I don’t want to tell you. There’s no one in this world I want to tell more than you. But I can’t. Not yet.”

She moved from the bed, the oversized tee falling off her shoulder as she moved closer to him. “Promise me one thing.”

“Laurel…”

“Just,” she put a hand on his cheek, drawing him as close to her as she could without their foreheads touching. “Promise me, you won’t leave without saying goodbye. I can’t take that again.”

He didn’t have to ask for details. He could feel it in her touch, just how much him leaving had affected her. Laurel had always been a strength so great nothing seemed to weather her edges. But he had. He had gotten through, and hurt her so much by not being honest, by not letting her in when he needed to the most. He couldn’t bare doing that again.

“I promise I’ll tell you when I go,” he said, letting his lips fall against hers. “But it won’t be a goodbye.”

She smiled as she pulled back, glancing at the side table. “I should really get dressed. I have to meet the DA at 10. And considering our caseload I should also be caffeinated before hand.”

“Okay,” he said. Taking a step back, he gestured towards the hall. “I think I’ll take a shower.”

“Not playing fair, Merlyn,” she muttered with a smirk. “But all your stuff is where you left it.”

“Really?”

“Does that surprise you?”

“No it’s just…” he chuckled softly. “With you and Ollie sharing this place I thought maybe my stuff would be shoved under the counter or something.”

“Between you and me,” she said dropping her voice. “99% of Oliver’s things are at Felicity’s place. He just brings a bag back and forth. But I think both of them might get that panicky look if anyone were to mention they’re basically living together.”

“And no one panics quite like the two of them,” he mused. 

She rolled her eyes, but Tommy could tell it was in good fun. A younger, more naive version of himself might have thought Laurel still harbored feelings for Oliver. They had been each other’s firsts in so many ways. But, when he looked at her now, he knew beyond doubt that their love was stronger than anything that came before it. He just hoped he could make it back to her so there never had to be something that comes after.

The shower helped him block out some of the thoughts that threatened to crawl back into his head. He let the water’s heat work it’s way into his shoulder muscles. The last 24 hours had been long and grueling on him, body and soul, and it was nice to let his mind white out for a few minutes. 

But he didn’t want to miss Laurel before she left for work, so he finished up and headed to the living room. He expected she would be sitting there, coffee in hand, and scrolling through the news on her phone. But Tommy should have been well versed by then in reality never matching his expectations. 

Laurel stood in the entryway of the apartment, her arms crossed and a scowl on her face as she stared down none other than Amanda Waller. 

Waller watched her, amusement playing underneath her cool glare. If one didn’t know Amanda they would be fearful she was about to strike. But Tommy could see how impressed she was with his girlfriend. And honestly that scared him more. 

“You could have called first,” he said and both women turned their attention to him.  Waller narrowed her eyes as he moved closer. 

“If I had called,” she said lifting a brow. “Would you have answered?”

His beat of silence was enough confirmation for her.

“Exactly what I thought,” she replied, then glanced at Laurel. “I need to have a private conversation with my agent, Ms. Lance. If you don’t mind?”

Laurel scoffed, then moved to him, kissing his cheek. “I should be done by 6 at the latest. Will you be here?”

He gave her a smile. “Yeah I’ll be around. I’ll call you.”

“Okay,” she said then grabbed her messenger bag. “Nice to see you again,  _ Ms. _ Waller.”

Tommy fought back the smirk that wanted to come through. No doubt Laurel remembered that Waller was the director of ARGUS. Tommy’s boss, and the highest  _ secret _ government position in Starling. But leave it to Laurel to throw that notoriety right out of the window without a care. It really only made him love her more.

Waller waited until the door clicked shut before she continued to speak. And if the look of composure was any indication, he was in for it. 

“Should I wait until you’ve deduced for yourself why I’m here, or would you like me to just start from the top?”

“I just assumed you missed me,” he quipped, the itch of anger flaring up in full force. 

“When I agreed to let you go on this mission, it was under the impression that you had finally come to terms with the way our relationship works, Agent Merlyn,” she moved forward, but Tommy stood his ground. 

“It wasn’t a mission Waller, and you know that,” he said, the seriousness creeping back into his voice. “I had to go for the safety of the people around me. You’re the one who tried to turn it into an information dig on the League.”

“You should have come straight to ARGUS when you returned.”

“That’s not what we agreed to.”

“I think the agreement was a full report upon your return.”

“Yeah when I was done,” Tommy said then regretted his words. He didn’t want Waller to know about the Order, or the Lotus. Or anything that could be used against Ra’s and the League. It’s not that he wanted to protect them. He had hated his time there and the things he had to do to keep sane. But the information he had, the plan that was still in motion? In the wrong hands someone could use it to go to war with Ra’s al Ghul. Tommy didn’t want to give that fuel to anyone, let alone Amanda Waller and ARGUS. 

But Waller was clever and quick, and she could read him better than he liked to admit. “Are you telling me you’re still in the middle of your mission?”

“I’m saying that I need to take care of something before I can go back to work,” he replied as flatly as he could. “And I need you to give me the space I need in order to do so.”

“Agent Merlyn, I must encourage you to think very carefully about what you’re asking,” she said, her eyes ever on him. “We have missions here, assignments that you are more qualified for than any other agent I have. Deadshot is roaming the streets of the city. And while it looks like he had no intention of a killshot last night, that is far more worrisome than if he had taken someone out.”

“And, I get that. I do. But I need one more week before I’m back in the field,” he said even if he had no idea if a week would be enough time. “Please don’t ask me to jump back into this just yet.”

“A week?”

“One week, one more trip,” he sighed. “And then I will do whatever mission you ask me to. But I need this.”

She seemed to consider his request with an air of annoyance and boredom. But when she sighed and looked at him again he felt the weight lift off him. “I’ll give you a ten day extension on your  _ vacation _ . But once you return to work I do expect a full, in depth report about the League of Assassins.”

“Deal,” he said, knowing he would have to find a way to leave out some details. 

“Also, Agent Merlyn,” she turned back before reaching for the door handle. “You better hope that Deadshot hasn’t moved on by the time you return. Because I want him off the board, and in a cell. We don’t need hired guns running amok in the city limits.”

He watched as she left, groaning to himself as the door pulled closed. 

He didn’t get much out of that. But Waller did give him something useful, even if she didn’t know it.

He pulled out his phone and hit Oliver’s speed dial. “Hey you got a sec?”

“What’s up?”

“Last night was a diversion,” he said as he grabbed his jacket from the closet. “Lawton wasn’t after anyone. In fact I think he was just the bait.”

“Bait for who?”

“For the only person who would be crazy enough to go after an assassin,” Tommy replied. “The vigilante.”

\---

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Felicity pulled the door open, revealing her mother on the doormat before her.

Donna shrieked, jumping up and down excitedly before pulling Felicity into a tight hug.  “Oh baby, I’m so happy to see you.” She pulled back, eyes roaming over her daughter’s face.  “Let me look at you.”

Felicity forced a smile, feeling uncomfortable and exposed.  Her mind kept stumbling over what she and Oliver could have possibly forgotten to hide away in her room, away from her mother’s prying eyes.

“You look tense, sweetheart,” Donna said, her hands on Felicity’s cheeks, holding her head in place.  “Is that new job of yours keeping you busy?”

“Kind of,” she answered, clearing her throat.

All at once Donna released her, stepping passed Felicity into the apartment.  “Oh how darling this place is. You know, I always questioned your style just a little bit, but you’ve really made the place look like your own.”

“Thank you?” Felicity said, although it came out like more of a question than she’d intended.  She spun to face her mother, her mind finally catching back up to her. “Mom, not that it isn’t good to see you, but…”

“But what am I doing here?”

Felicity nodded, not sure she trusted herself to answer; she didn’t want to offend her mother, but everything in her mind kept screaming to find a way to get her out of Starling as quickly as possible.  It wasn’t just Deadshot, and the man in the mask, and her code that was still impossibly places it shouldn’t be. But it certainly was a combination of all of it, and more.

“You skipped coming home for Hanukkah this year,” Donna chided, turning back to meet her daughter’s eyes.  “And then everything that happened with your boss, Mr. Merlyn. And then last night I hear about this attack downtown.”  She broke off suddenly. “A mother has a right to worry about her only daughter, Felicity. I thought you would have at least called to let me know you were alright.”

“I wasn’t even close to that when it happened,” Felicity frowned.   _ And if you only knew about all the dangerous things that happen in this city… _ she added silently in her head.  “I’m sorry,” she sighed. “I didn’t realize it had made national news.  I should have let you know I was alright.”

“Not that that doctor of yours couldn’t have fixed you right up if something had happened,” Donna said.

Felicity cringed in response, sputtering a cough in the process.  Because apparently no, she had not told her mother about her break up with Carter Bowen months earlier.  And Donna, who was always eagle-eyed, at least when it came to Felicity’s discomfort on the topic of men, cocked her head and raised her brows.

“Actually, Mom,” Felicity said, taking a step toward her mother.  “Carter and I aren’t seeing each other anymore.”

“Oh Felicity,” Donna cooed.  “All the better that I’m here.  You know, I always thought that you and that friend of yours.  Tommy, was it?”

She made a face.  “Mom, no. Tommy and I are just friends.”

“He just seems like such a nice young man,” Donna said, wrapping an arm around Felicity’s shoulder.  “Has he taken over his father’s company after…”

Felicity’s insides contracted, like she was bracing for a physical blow to hit her.  Her mother was nothing, after all, if not consistent. She had the briefest flash of a paper she’d written at MIT for an English requirement.  It had been on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and while most people wrote about the love story, or about how it might translate into today’s society, Felicity found herself being drawn to the relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and her mother.  Something hardened inside her, remembering all the times Donna gave her advice on how to attract the ‘right type’ of guy. Someone driven, handsome, and rich was an added bonus. Meanwhile, it seemed like her mother had found herself with one ponzi scheme jackass after another.  They always had a get-rich-quick scam, always mooched off Donna’s meager income, always left her heartbroken and sobbing into a pint of Mint Chip ice cream.

“Mom,” Felicity said sternly, pulling out of her mother’s arms.  “Tommy is my best friend. And he’s in a serious relationship with another of my friends.”  But somehow, she couldn’t bring herself to tell Donna about Oliver. Maybe because of everything going on, or maybe just simply because Oliver was the actual epitome of every single guy Donna had always tried to push at Felicity. 

 And why was she just now realizing this?  She was sure a therapist would have plenty to say on the subject, but she kept her mouth shut about him.  At least just for now. Because Oliver might be all of those things-- driven, handsome, and sure, the money didn’t hurt.  But none of those things were why Felicity had fallen for him. And she couldn’t let Donna think that their relationship had anything to do with her mother’s ideals.

Donna let out a sigh, like she was being overly inconvenienced by her daughter’s words.

“I have to get ready for work,” Felicity said, pushing passed her mother toward the hallway.

“But what am I supposed to do today?”

Felicity shrugged.  “I don’t know. But I haven’t been at my job long enough to take unscheduled time off.”  It was a lie, and she knew it. Cayden James didn’t exactly keep normal business hours, but she needed a little bit of time to figure out what she was going to do with her mother.  “You can stay here if you want,” she said, and then regretted the words instantly. She really didn’t want her mother going through all of her things while she was gone. “Or I can drop you off at the mall?  Coffee house? Yoga studio?”

“I’m a grown woman, Felicity,” her mother said flatly.  “I think I can occupy myself for a few hours while you go to work.”

“Netflix is set up on the TV.”

“Is that the music one?”

“No, that’s Pandora.  Netflix is movies and TV shows.”

Donna shrugged.  “It’s fine. I doubt I’d be able to figure it out anyway.”  A breathy laugh escaped her. “Did I tell you, I finally got that smart phone you bought me to work?  I even saved your number in there.”

Sometimes, Felicity wondered how she was possibly related to her mother.  Sure, they shared features, and with her hair dyed blonde, they even looked similar enough to noticeably be related.  But aside from looks, Felicity was  _ nothing _ like Donna.

“Mom…” Felicity started, and then quieted suddenly.  Snapshots flooded her brain- sitting in the Foundry while Oliver and Tommy and how many others were out there trying to stop Malcolm Merlyn.  All the people who lost their lives because of the device she helped build. It hit her at the strangest times, the grief over what she’d been apart of.  The guilt over being the only survivor who had a hand on that project.

“What is it, baby?” Donna asked, concern lacing through her features, creasing her brow.

She shook her head, loosing the thoughts free from their hold on her brain.  She wouldn’t let them pull her down into a spiral. She’d promised herself, after Cooper, that she would protect herself, not let things get to her as much.  She just needed to hold onto that a little longer, until she could get into the core of Helix, until she could persuade them that she could use her powers to help them do good in this world.

“Nothing,” she said, sucking in another sharp breath.  “Sorry. I’m fine. It’s just been a long few days.” A long few months, was more like it.  Worrying over Tommy. And Oliver. And herself. She’d spent weeks glancing over her shoulder, expecting some government agency to be coming for her after the email Malcolm had sent out.   _ But we stopped that _ , she thought to herself.   _ Me and Alena _ .  “I won’t be gone long.  Just have a few things to tie up and then I’ll be back.  Maybe we can do dinner out tonight?”

“I think maybe I will explore a little while you’re out,” Donna said brightly.  “There are an awful lot of powerful people in this city. And who knows, maybe I’ll even catch a glimpse of that vigilante that’s been all over the news.”

“The… Arrow?” Felicity croaked, unable to keep her voice steady.

“Mmhmm,” Donna grinned.  “You think he’d save me from danger?  If I asked nicely.”

Felicity bit back a laugh/cough/vomit at the thought of her mother flirting with the vigilante.  Of her mother flirting with Oliver. “Let’s hope you don’t have to find out,” Felicity answered, finally.  “Let me get dressed and I’ll take you downtown where the nice mall is.”

Her mother nodded, and then sank down onto the sofa, digging through her purse and pulling out a compact mirror.

Making her way down the hall, Felicity closed herself into her bedroom, before flinging herself onto the bed and grabbing her phone.  She opened her text thread with Oliver, but paused before sending him an SOS message. She remembered how he’d acted just a little while ago when they spoke about Lawton and the hacker and the man in the mask.  How he’d told her to focus on the hacker and let him and John work on the other leads. It had been strange, and she’d wanted to press it further, when her mother had called. And then he’d left before they could finish the conversation.

For now, she waited to text him, instead, switching to her conversation with Thea, and telling her that she might need a buffer later in the day.

_ A buffer? For what? _ Thea’s reply came almost immediately.

_ My mother. _ Felicity wrote back.  

She dropped the phone onto the bed and groaned, pulling herself to her feet and moving to her closet.  Her motivation for the day had gone from overdrive to stuck in the mud. But still, the memory of the hacker, of getting shut out of her own code the night before made her sick.  Especially since it meant that the masked man had gotten away. And since back-tracing the hack had gotten her nowhere, Felicity had to try another strategy. Surprisingly, Myron Forest had somehow ended up in Starling City after his days at MIT.  And although they’d never seen each other after graduation, Felicity was gearing herself up for one hell of a college reunion.

Felicity dressed quickly, pulling her hair back into a quick ponytail and smoothing some makeup quickly across her eyelids, cheeks and lips.  And then she was opening the door, heading back out into the common spaces. Her phone beeped on the bed, reminding her of its location and she went back to grab it.  She glanced at the incoming message, and groaned.

_ Best buffer ever,  _ Thea’s message read.   _ Impromptu dinner party tonight at the Queen’s.  Everyone who’s anyone will be there. And that means the illustrious Smoak women are a must. _

_ Not what I had in mind, Thea _ , Felicity typed back, hoping to stop the party’s inception before it got off the ground.

But the youngest Queen’s reply was immediate.   _ Too late.  It was Moira’s idea. _


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My lovelies hello!!  
> Welcome to another chapter of this wonderful verse! I hope you're ready for some good stuff. I won't keep you long. But thank you for all the lovely comments. We appreciate them so much.
> 
> Love,  
> Kayla

_ No results found… _

Oliver groaned as he typed in another keyword.

_ No results found… _

“Dammit,” he pushed back from the computer, rubbing circles at his temples. He had been trying each car dealership he could think of within and surrounding Starling for the last hour, and none seemed to have the make or model he was looking for. He was starting to think this lead was as much of a dead end as anything else.

He heard the lock click, boots falling on the metal stairs. Oliver didn’t need to swivel around to see that it was Tommy, but the computer was annoying him enough to warrant a break. Plus their previous talk had left Oliver a little more than concerned. 

“Hey,” he called, pushing himself up from the chair. “How’d you get here?”

“Thea picked me up on her way. Said she had to deal with some deliveries,” he replied as he hopped up on the table. “She also said you probably wouldn’t remember they were coming today.”

The new flyers for the club, plus the kitchen delivery. Yeah he had spaced. “Well nice to know I keep dropping the ball.”

“Isn’t that why we hired Thea?” he picked up a tennis ball sitting on the table, then tossed it towards Oliver. “To catch what we can’t?”

Oliver grabbed the ball mid air and rolled his eyes. “Doesn’t mean she shouldn’t be at home focused on her studies. I would still rather she graduate too.  Not get swept up in all this.”

“She will graduate,” Tommy said, somehow more certain than Oliver felt. “She’s not us, Ollie. Thea’s got her head on mostly straight. As for  _ all this _ , I think Thea could do worse than turning out a little like you.”

“You too?”

“I’m not saying I want her out there punching drug dealers in the throat,” he held up his hands in surrender. “But I am saying there is a touch of darkness that comes with being related to Malcolm. And I think if she channels it right, then it doesn’t have to swallow her whole one day.” 

Oliver bounced the ball hard against the concrete floor. Too many things had sprung up all at once, and for a second it struck him that he never got to tell Tommy about William. So much had changed between them in the last two months, and he wanted to bring it up. But he knew they had other things to deal with first.

“You said on the phone you think someone was using Deadshot as bait? What’d you mean?”

Tommy jumped from the table and motioned to the computer. “You mind?”

“Go ahead, that search isn’t going anywhere.”

Tommy opened a new window, bringing up the Starling City Star, and clicking on the news article about the event the night before. 

“We already know Deadshot attacked last night.”

“But did you or Felicity consider the fact that he didn’t shoot a single person? Not one kill shot?” Tommy countered, zooming in on a block of text. “In fact the only injuries from last night were sustained when the crowd tried to flee. So tell me, how could an expert marksman like Floyd Lawton shoot up an event but not hit a single target?”

“Unless he didn’t have a target in his sights.”

“Exactly,” Tommy smirked. “But what he did get was a high speed chase with the local vigilantes.”

“This is really not good,” he muttered. “Between Lawton and… everything else. The one thing I was counting on was Deadshot having a target Digg could track down.”

“As much as I too would love to track a hitman, the no kill list is still probably preferable.”

“But why that event? You know it’s the middle of spring, everyone’s throwing parties all over the city? What was so special about last night?”

Tommy turned back to the screen, looking through the article. “It was apparently the kick off party for a mayoral campaign? Who the hell is Sebastian Blood?” 

Oliver tried not to freeze at Tommy’s words. Blood. The same guy who was spouting off for the last few weeks about the damage Merlyn had done to Starling. How God had spared the Glades in order to punish the wealthy. How Tommy was just as vile as his father for leaving right after.

“Some political nutjob,” Oliver retorted, reaching over and closing out of the page. “He’s been running on a ‘the vigilante is right’ type of platform.”

“Maybe whoever hired Lawton thinks you’d come to the rescue?”

“Maybe…” It still didn’t sit right. Blood’s campaign, Lawton, the masked man? He needed to figure out which threads tied together and which ones didn’t, before the whole thing fell apart.

“This is kind of a bad time,” Tommy said tapping his fingers against the desk. “I mean with the city on the verge of a metaphorical collapse.”

“No worse than anything else,” but even Oliver wasn’t sure he fully believed that.

“Cause I was gonna ask,” his voice dropped and Tommy avoided looking at him. Which told Oliver to pay attention more. “You don’t have to, so don’t feel obligated or anything. But I was hoping when Nyssa and I head to Japan maybe you and Felicity could come with? I don’t think I want to do it alone.”

Despite everything else, Oliver couldn’t help but smile. They hadn’t been sure of what Tommy would be like when he came back, but it was good to see his friend there above anything else. 

“Digg and Sara can handle this for a few days on their own. I got your back,” he said then smirked. “Felicity on the other hand, probably not.”

“Everything okay? Is this about that other hacker?”

“No, actually her mother’s in town.”

Tommy broke out into a grin. “Donna Smoak, what a woman.”

“You’ve met Felicity’s mom?”

“Briefly,” Tommy laughed. “She came for a visit shortly after we got back from Russia. And let me tell you many things about Felicity made more sense when I met Donna. But you must have seen that when you met her.”

“I didn’t actually.”

“Sorry, what?”

“I didn’t meet her.”

“Why not?”

“Because,” Oliver gritted his teeth. “Felicity didn’t tell her we’re dating.”

“Oooh,” he nodded. “Now the face makes sense.”

“It’s not a big deal.”

“Ollie come on you are the worst liar I know.”

“I’m a vigilante.”

“Yeah which makes it scarier that you can’t lie,” Tommy laughed. “Look I’m sure Felicity just didn’t want to tell her mom over the phone about her boyfriend the handsome billionaire. Donna’s the kind of person you have to ease into that kind of thing. Like a cat to bath water. Too fast and they freak out. Except in Donna’s case she’d already have your wedding, and the first 5 years of your marriage planned.”

“Well she also didn’t tell her mom her and Carter broke up,” Oliver leaned himself against the desk. 

“Wait are you doing that pouty jealous thing?”

“I’m not jealous of Carter  _ Bowen _ .”

“Good because that’s ridiculous,” Tommy hit him on the shoulder, and Oliver rolled his eyes. “Ollie she loves you, okay? I have never seen Felicity more in love with anyone than with you. If she didn’t tell her mom her and Carter broke up that’s because Felicity has a hard time telling her mom when she changes hairstyles. Donna kinda has an opinion on everything. She’s a lot like Moira that way. Speaking of, when did you tell your mom you two were dating?”

Oliver glared at him. “I didn’t have to, she saw us around each other.”

“But you didn’t tell her did you?”

“What’s your point?”

“My point,” Tommy paused for emphasis. “Is maybe everything in Felicity’s life was kind of crazy when she and Carter broke it off, and then you two got together and things hadn’t really calmed down. Maybe instead of getting annoyed that she wasn’t writing epic poetry to her mom back home about you, you can understand that this is the first time your relationship has moved up a level. And give her a beat to tell Donna.”

“You take one trip to the League and suddenly you have sage advice.”

“Wow that’s rude,” he chuckled. “But I’m serious, Felicity will tell Donna the truth. You just have to give her the space to do it.”

Oliver folded his arms and groaned. “As points go, that one’s pretty solid.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t get used to it.”

“Ha,” he turned back to the computer bringing the shot of the Mercedes back up. “Oooh that’s a nice car. Was that the getaway car of that masked dude?”

“Yeah,” Oliver pulled another chair over, and brought up another dealership. He used Felicity’s tech to hack into their database.

“Wait you think this was a local buy?”

“I thought it was worth a look.”

“Ollie, come on, I know you’ve been out of the money game for a while my friend, but you are rusty.”

He turned his head to Tommy and sighed. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“That paint job is a superb custom,” he said, pointing to the wheel wells. “That make doesn’t come in  _ Midnight Manhattan _ , but there is one guy in Starling City who has a deal with the company who makes it. Dude’s name is Jackson Talbot, owns a body shop in Pennytown. The only good place to get a custom paint job in the pacific northwest.”

“Let me guess he doesn’t have a paper trail, or a computer database.”

“You want Talbot to work on your car you gotta have cash, and lots of it on hand,” Tommy shrugged. “We might not get a name, but he’ll remember the car. Talbot takes a polaroid of each job when he’s done.”

“Don’t suppose you’re up for a field trip?” Oliver asked raising his brow. “You don’t have to if you want to hang here. I know you don’t want to be back in the spotlight yet.”

“No I’ll go,” Tommy said as he stood. “Besides Talbot’s a good dude, but some of his work isn’t exactly above board.”

“You mean it’s also a chopshop?”

“Technically I don’t actually have that information, but I suspect.”

“Perfect,” Oliver shook his head. 

His phone rang and Oliver pulled it from his pocket, motioning for Tommy to wait. 

“Hi, Mom,” Oliver said as he answered the phone. “Can I call you back, I’m just about to run a work errand.”

“I just want to make sure you’ll be here by 6:30 tonight. I want to get everything ready before dinner?”

“What dinner Mom? I said I’d call you later this week about brunch,” he rolled his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Felicity has plans today, so can we reschedule?”

“I know her mother is in town.  That’s why we’re doing this tonight.”

“I’m confused, doing what tonight?”

“Honestly Oliver, I know I raised you with better manners. What were you just going to let your girlfriend’s mother come to town and not let me meet here?”

A wave of panic Oliver couldn’t quite get a grasp on coursed through him. “Mom, whatever you’re doing, whatever you’re planning I need you to stop immediately.”

“Raisa,” he could hear her say away from the phone. “Let’s use the light blue napkins tonight.”

“No light blue napkins Mom,” Oliver countered. “No napkins at all. Because you’re not having dinner with Felicity’s mom. I’m not having dinner with Felicity’s mom. No one but Felicity is having dinner with her mom. Okay?”

“Raisa has already started cooking.”

“Are you listening to me at all? No, Mom.”

“I will have to meet her eventually, Oliver. What would you rather I wait until you two secretly elope and throw some small reception at Big Belly Burger?”

“Mom!”

“I’m joking,” she replied with a tsk. “Because if you elope I will never let you hear the end of it.”

“Mom, please don’t do this. There is plenty of time to back out.”

“Do not be late,” she said again, ignoring his words. “And tell your sister to be on time as well.”

“Thea knows?”

“Of course she does. How else would I know Felicity’s mother was in town. It’s not like you would volunteer the information.”

“I’m hanging up now Mom. I have to go yell at Thea.”

“6:30 sharp, Oliver.”

“Bye.”

He ended the call and glared up the stairs. If he didn’t have time to deal with everything before, he really was stretched thin now. But Moira Queen was like a hurricane, once she got moving not a force on earth could stop her. He just hoped tonight wouldn’t end up becoming a disaster zone.

“Come on,” he said to Tommy. “Let’s get this done.”

“Before your dinner plans?”

“Be nice or I’m making you come with me.”

Tommy looked at him with a nervous shake of his head. “That’s not a good idea, and we both know it.”

He wanted Tommy to come. He’d feel better if he did. But he also understood where his friend was coming from. And he wouldn’t push.

“Plus,” Tommy said with a grin. “I promised Laurel I’d be home tonight.” 

“Alright,” he said. “Let’s go.”

“Wait,” he held his hand out to stop Oliver. Then smiled again. “You might want to bring a car. So we don’t look too suspicious.” 

“Right,” Oliver reached over, grabbing the keys to the Jag he kept at the club. “We wouldn’t want to stand out.”

\---

The drive to Pennytown began as a quiet one.  Oliver seemed lost in his own thoughts, and Tommy wasn’t sure if it had to do with the upcoming dinner he’d just been muscled into, or everything else that was going on around them.  Part of Tommy wished he could stay, or at least that he hadn’t asked Oliver to drop everything and come to Japan with him. Clearly the Arrow was needed in Starling, and guilt crept into Tommy’s mind at the thought of pulling Oliver’s focus away from his mission to save the city.

“So tell me about Talbot,” Oliver said, breaking the silence between them as they made their way toward the outskirts of Starling.

Tommy shrugged.  “Not much to tell.  He customized a Benz for me awhile back when I was feeling particularly annoyed with my father and wanted to see how much of a bill I could rack up at his expense.”  

He ticked his eyes over to Oliver, noting the flex of his hands on the steering wheel.  They hadn’t talked about Malcolm since everything happened. Not that Tommy had given anyone a chance to talk to him much.  He’d left so soon after everything had happened.

“We can talk about it if you want.”

“Nah.” Tommy shook his head dismissively.  “There’s nothing worth saying.”

Oliver frowned, eyes still glued on the road ahead of them.  He looked like he wanted to say more, but stayed quiet as they drove.

Tommy felt like he needed to give Oliver something, anything to apologize for the last two months.  To make his best friend believe it when he told him that he was okay. Or at least that he would be.  To prove to Oliver (and maybe to himself too) that he would come back from the brink of darkness he’d been buried in since that day on the rooftop with his father.

“Ollie, I-”

“I have to--”

They both started and stopped talking in unison.

“You first,” Tommy said, clearing his throat.  He hadn’t even been sure what words would come out when he’d started speaking.  Just needed to fill the silence with something, anything.

Oliver took a breath and nodded.  “I have to tell you something,” he said, glancing at Tommy across the space between them.

“That sounds ominous.”

“No,” Oliver said, a huff of a laugh escaping him.  “It’s actually a really great thing. So far anyway.  I mean I only just found out myself right after everything happened…” he trailed off.

Tommy had to bite back a smirk, thinking that some of Felicity’s babbling may have rubbed off on Oliver.  “Well?” Tommy prompted. “Spit it out, man.”

“Do you remember before the Gambit?  That girl I was hooking up with? Sam Clayton?”

“Do I remember?” Tommy scoffed.  “You were the envy of everyone in our social circle for plucking her out of that sorority that summer.”  He paused, something tickling his mind, like he should remember, but he couldn’t quite imagine what. “Wait, is she the one that…?”

“Got a job in Central City,” Oliver swallowed hard.  “After she told me that she had a miscarriage.”

Tommy balked, all of the pieces falling into place.  The careful words Oliver chose said more to him than anything his friend had spoken aloud.  “Do you… Ollie, do you have a kid?”

There was a long beat before Oliver answered.  “A son,” he said, a grin splitting his face wide.  “His name is William.”

“Shit,” Tommy breathed slowly, drawing the word out.  “Why didn’t she tell you? I mean, why lie about the miscarriage if you already knew she was pregnant?”

“My mother,” Oliver sighed heavily.  “One of the many things that Moira and I are still working through.  After she told Thea the truth about Malcolm, she decided that she didn’t want any secrets from me either.  I found out the day of your father’s funeral. I meant to tell you after, but…”

“But I had a flight to catch,” Tommy supplied.  A new knot tied itself in his stomach. He hadn’t been there for Oliver and he should have been.  Not that Tommy had been in any state to help anyone. But still, he should have at least not been the last person to know about it.  He cleared his throat. “Have you seen him?”

Oliver nodded.  “Just got back from my first visit a couple days ago.  He’s… He’s amazing, Tommy. I never thought I’d be ready for this.  For fatherhood or whatever small part of it I’ve had so far.”

Tommy let out a whistle.  “You are… I mean I’m sure ‘glowing’ isn’t the right word, but yeah, dude.  You’re kinda glowing.”

Oliver reached over, shoving Tommy in the arm.  “Stop,” he said sternly.

“I thought it was only pregnant mothers that did the whole glow thing,” Tommy pressed, enjoying the ease with which they slipped back into banter like the ‘old’ days.  He continued on for a few moments, making jokes at Oliver’s expense, comparing his best friend to a hormonal mother-to-be. “Seriously though,” he said, sobering up. “I’m really happy for you, Oliver.”

“Thanks, Tommy.”

“And Felicity?”

“She’s supportive.  Excited to meet him when the time is right.”  Oliver paused. “We’re still trying to figure out the logistics of it all.  And William technically doesn’t know who I am yet. Understandably, Samantha wanted to make sure I was sticking around before explaining to him that I’m his father.”

“Good,” Tommy nodded.  “About Felicity being supportive.  I know that growing up without a Dad… well, how it affected her.  I know she’d want you to be there for William in whatever capacity you can.”

Oliver glanced over at him again.  “Sometimes I forget how good of friends you two are,” he cleared his throat.  “You know more about her past than I do.”

And Tommy was sure that he did.  How many nights had he and Felicity stayed up late, drinking and talking about their respective pasts, each growing up without a parent for such drastically different reasons.  More nights than he could count. And although he and Felicity had a special friendship, whatever spark of something they might have had in the early days had been extinguished and replaced with something even more meaningful.

“You’ll get there,” Tommy said.  “I’m sure there’s plenty about your past that she doesn’t know yet either.”

Oliver gave a slight nod, as if conceding this fact about himself.  Their drive finished as quietly as it began, and before long they were pulling into Jackson Talbot’s body shop and formulating a plan.

“Hope you brought your wallet,” Tommy said as they climbed out of the car.  “Talbot’s pretty tight lipped when it comes to his clients. This may get expensive.”

“You said he has polaroids right?” Oliver asked, shrugging in response.  “Let’s see if I can come off as entitled as the guy I used to be.”  

Tommy felt a knot of tension tie itself in his stomach.  His fists clenched involuntarily, and he swallowed down the anger that seemed to seethe in his veins for no reason at all except that it was accompanying a surge of adrenaline.  He tamped down the feeling, breathing deeply as they made their way to the open bay door of the garage.

A man leaned over, his back to them as he polished the front of a 1950’s Porsche Spyder.  He buffed the metallic fuschia paint until it gleamed.

Tommy whistled his appreciation as he and Oliver stopped just inside the door.  “She’s a beauty,” he said, not having to feign his awe over the car. The classic James Bond-esque car had been given new life at the hands of Jackson Talbot.

“Should see the owner,” Talbot said, glancing over his shoulder.  He stood and turned to face them. “What I wouldn’t do to her...” he trailed off.

Tommy glanced at Oliver, whose face had pulled tight in distaste before he could stop it.  And then the mask slid into place and Oliver laughed. “Oh I bet,” he said, extending his hand.  “Oliver Queen.”

Talbot smirked.  “Like I don’t know who you are.”  But he gripped Oliver’s hand back and shook it.  “Starling’s Billionaire playboy back from the dead.  Or one of them anyway.” He glanced toward Tommy. “How’s the Benz, man?”

“Good,” Tommy answered, shaking Talbot’s outstretched hand.  “Ollie’s looking to have some work done on the Jag. I told him you’re the only guy worth going to.”

“What kind of work?”

Oliver shrugged.  “New paint job. But if I like what I see, I’ve got a ‘64 XKE in the garage that needs to be restored.”

Talbot turned his head and spit.  “I don’t audition.”

Tommy bit back a reply, letting Oliver handle the exchange, despite the panic and ire escalating inside him.

“Not looking for one,” Oliver answered cooly.  “Just want to make sure I’ve got the right man for the job before anyone touches her.”

Talbot seemed to consider this for a long moment and then nodded his head toward the car they’d come in.  “Bring it back next week. My business is cash only. You try to stiff me…” he laughed. “Don’t.”

“Interior’s black leather,” Oliver said, taking a step forward.  “Mind if I see what you’ve done before so I can decide on a color?”

Spitting again, Talbot pulled a rag from his pocket and wiped his hands on it.  He muttered something about “rich, entitled…” Tommy didn’t catch the rest of it, and turned and headed for the office.

“Not much in the way of customer service,” Oliver groaned, before following after the guy.

“He’s a weasel,” Tommy whispered back.  “But he does good work.”

“I just need to know about the Mercedes and the masked driver.”

Inside the office, polaroid pictures lined every single wall.  They were lined up, side by side, in perfect rows. Hundreds, thousands of images of cars- some with the owners proudly standing beside, some without.  

Talbot gestured around the room.  “Color doesn’t much matter. I can do whatever you want.  But I’ll need to know today, along with a downpayment to get the mix going.”

Oliver and Tommy looked through the images.  They seemed to be in chronological order, with the images closest to the door being the oldest, if the styles of the men and women in the photos had anything to say about it.  Tommy spun the opposite direction, looking for the newer photos, until he spotted the one they wanted. The Mercedes from the night before in  _ Midnight Manhattan _ .

“How about this, Ollie?” he asked, pointing to the image.  There was no one in the photo- just the car. Another dead end.

Oliver shrugged, playing along.  “Not sure. I think I want something flashier.”  He moved along the wall, but nodded his head toward the image that Tommy had pointed out.  “What can you tell me about this one?” he asked Talbot, pulling the man’s attention away from Tommy.

“Sparkling Merlot,” Talbot said.  “Two step pearlescent process. It’s got the shimmer of a metallic paint without the silver undertones.  Would look bangin’ with a black leather interior.”

Oliver asked another question, but Tommy hung back.  He carefully pulled the polaroid off the wall of the car in question and then grabbed the photo from the end and stuck it in the empty spot, to conceal their theft for as long as possible.  Tommy pocketed the photo and then moved to where Oliver and Talbot stood.

“I think that's the one, buddy,” he said, clamping a hand over Oliver’s shoulder.

“Me too,” Oliver concluded.  “But I wasn’t expecting a deposit today.  You good if I come back later with the money?  I don’t exactly like to be walking around with that kind of cash on me.  Not with vigilantes and gangs running amuck.”

“Be here ‘til seven,” Talbot said.  “But I don’t do nothin’ without a deposit.  Not even for pretty rich boys like you.”

Oliver looked like he was ready to murder him on the spot, not that Talbot could see, since Oliver was already headed back through the building toward the door. “No worries man,” Oliver said, keeping his voice light.  He turned back and offered the guy a wink. “Be back soon.”

And then they were pushing back out into the parking lot, heading toward the car.

“There’s nothing in that picture,” Tommy frowned, as they climbed inside.  He pulled the image from his pocket, studying it carefully again. “What are you thinking?”

Oliver smiled, starting the engine, over-revving it and peeling out of the parking lot.  “I’m thinking,” he said, grabbing the photo and pointing to a small reflection in the driver’s side window.  “You have no idea how good Felicity is with computers.”

\---

If ever there was a time for Felicity to be overwhelming grateful for the existence of a mall, today would be that day. Dress shopping should be enough to distract Donna for at least a few hours in a row, and then after that? Well Felicity technically hadn’t told her mother where they were having dinner yet.

She also had refrained from telling her mother to get something… calm to wear. Not that Donna would listen. It’s not that she didn’t appreciate that her mother had her own style. Normally Felicity would be all for free expression. But the very last thing she wanted to deal with was whatever her mom might wear to Moira Queen’s house for dinner. 

But at least she had some time to herself to track down Myron. Just her and a keyboard. It’s what she would need to calm her down. She sunk into an open cubicle at Helix, and pulled out her tablet. Better to get started fast before something else decided to blow up in her face.

“And here I thought you were avoiding this place.”

Felicity jumped as Alena poked her head around the corner.

“Or at least avoiding me.”

“I wasn’t…” Felicity shook off her nerves. “What?”

“You said you’d be in this morning, it’s well past one,” she teased, then she focused on Felicity. “Hey, you okay? Was it the hacker with the hacked code? Did they try to get into your systems again?”

“No, no, nothing like that,” Felicity sighed. “Weird morning so far that’s all.”

“Any luck tracking your guy at all?”

Felicity took a breath. She had almost forgotten about coming to Helix at all the night before. But if she was going to look into Myron, she was going to need Alena’s help.

“I found that he’s living in Starling,” she conceded with a groan. “He’s the head of IT for Preston and Logan LLP.”

“That sounds like a huge coincidence, him being in the city like this.”

Felicity had to nod in agreement. Because it was a coincidence. What was Myron doing all the way out here? He was smart, really smart. He could have had his pick of jobs in Silicon Valley. So why settle in Starling City? Out of every place on the map he could have chosen? After everything that happened with Russia, Waller, Malcolm, and the Undertaking, she wasn’t going to take a chance at being wrong.

“Which is why I need to go talk to him,” she sighed. “I just need the right in first.”

“Why not ‘hey dude stop using my code behind my back’? Straight to the point.”

“Yes because the best way to approach a hacker is to accuse them of stealing,” she countered. “I can’t let him know I’m on to him early on, I need something a little more subtle than that. If I spook him, I’ll never get to the bottom of this.”

“Well I am here to help,” Alena gave her almost a giddy smile. “I’ve been so bored today. Cayden put a halt on the hack into ECHELON. He doesn’t think we have enough servers and hackers under our belt to get it done. Which is probably a good idea since something like that could go horribly wrong if we don’t do it right.”

“Wait Cayden is planning on hacking  ECHELON ?” She hadn’t heard that news. And that fact didn’t sit right with her. 

“Well not anymore,” Alena shrugged. “I guess it’s for the best, since now I’m free to help you out.”

For some reason she couldn’t shake the feeling that her being kept out of the loop was a bigger thing to focus on. Had she not turned down Cayden’s proposal to work closer together the night before, would she be hacking ECHELON for Helix? Or was there still more her elusive boss had decided to keep her in the dark on. Would she ever truly know all that Helix was meant for?

“I need intel on Myron,” she replied, knowing full well the best way to get Alena to spill about Helix was to involve her in a new project. “The kind that I don’t think he’ll spill to his ex roommate’s old girlfriend.”

“We could catch him at a bar, guys always spill secrets in a bar,” Alena smirked. “It’s a cliche, but it’s true. I bet someone who works for an accounting firm has to have a spot after work. We could go tonight, get the details, then stick him to the wall.”

“Tempting, but unfortunately I have dinner plans,” she groaned, thinking again about her mom and Oliver in the same room. “Plus if Myron is guilty and he sees me, it’ll be over before we get anything out of him.”

“What if I go on my own?”

“I can’t ask you to do that Alena.”

“You’re not asking, I’m offering,” she brought a chair over and sat next to Felicity. “I won’t even talk to him if you don’t want. All I need is his  description and to get close enough to his phone to drop some heavy duty spyware. Once we have access to that we could track everything he does. It’ll be great.”

“If I agree to this,” but she could see the giddiness spreading on Alena’s face already. “And I do mean if, we have to set up some ground rules.”

“Totally.”

“I’m serious Alena. We don’t know if he’s involved and if he is he could be dangerous.”

“I promise I’ll be fine. It’s just some spyware,” she rolled her eyes. “Wouldn’t be the first time I ever did this.”

“Ugh, fine, okay you can go,” Felicity turned back to her tablet, and typed away. “But we’re using my program because I trust it. Deal?”

“Deal.”

Felicity went to work recoding things. If Myron was her hacker, she couldn’t very well send Alena in with spyware that matched the same code he used to hack the city against her. She had to make it look as seamless as anything else. One slip and things could go wrong for her friend very quickly. 

She had just put the finishing touches on her code when a news alert pinged her tablet. Felicity made sure her alerts were only for the most important things. And lately it had mostly been vigilante business. But once or twice something else would slip into her view instead. And this was one of those time.

The headline had caught her attention first and foremost.

_ Mayoral Candidate Promise ‘No Merlyn’s in Starling’s Future’ _

What the hell?

She clicked into the link and skimmed past the photo ops of Sebastian Blood, getting to the meat of the article.

_ “The city’s elite needs to be held accountable for the damage they did to their neighbors,” states Alderman Blood as he claims more members of the Starling City financial district knew about Malcolm Merlyn’s plans to level the Glades. “The only way this city will heal and ever begin to become whole again is if we drown out the Merlyn name. Those who were complicit in these crimes need to remember that the Glades remain. And we do not forgive that easily.” _

_ Alderman Blood’s interview comes right on the heels of an attack at his campaign party last night. Though no one was injured at the event, Blood is adamant that this attack was a clear message from those who oppose his candidacy.  _

_ “A lot of rich people in Starling City aren’t happy with the campaign I’ve been running so far,” he states. “And those people have deep enough pockets to pay off hired guns to scare a small time politician. But I’m from the heart of this city. And if they want me gone they’ll have to do better than that. I won’t rest until the Merlyn name is nothing but history to our city. Not until we cleanse it of what they tried to do to us, will we ever be free from it.” _

Felicity exited the article and dropped her tablet to the desk. She wanted to find Blood and deck him in the face. It’s not that he was wrong about the Undertaking. There were dozens of names on Oliver’s list of people who knew the truth of what Malcolm had planned. Maybe they didn’t know everything, but they knew enough to be worried. And they hadn’t done a damn thing. 

But to put the entirety of the Merlyn name on blast like that? When Tommy had to live with it? When Thea did? God she hated him. She hated that he was getting away with being just as high and mighty as he claimed the rest of the 1%’s were. And she hated that were was no good way for her to protect either of her friends from this. 

She could corrupt the site. But she knew the second she did, ten more news sites would pick up the story. Nothing was going to squash this. Not when a gunman attacked an event in the Glades. And she had the sick thought that maybe that’s exactly what Blood was counting on.

“Alena,” she said as she opened her email thread, attaching the code, and sent it to her friend. “I have to go. I gotta catch up with someone before my dinner tonight. But I will text you Myron’s picture. And I just sent the code. So just let me know how it goes?”

“Everything okay?”

“I hope so,” but she feared Tommy would see the news before she made it to him. And she didn’t know how he’d react to that. “We’ll talk later. Right now I have to go.”

She wasn’t sure where Tommy was, but she assumed at some point he’d even up back at Verdant. So that’s where she was heading first.

\---


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies! We're glad you're enjoying Oliver and Tommy time, and looking forward to more Donna Smoak. I won't keep you waiting any longer... so here we go!
> 
> -Cassie

Minutes ticked by agonizingly slow as Oliver waited for the program to enhance the image.  Long-shot though it may have been, he was still hoping for a miracle- that Felicity’s system would be able to decipher the image and tell him who the man behind the mask was.  He’d been on edge all day thinking about Slade, his stomach knotting itself time and time again, leaving him feeling spent despite doing little to justify it.

“Don’t you have a dinner to get ready for?” Tommy asked with a smirk as he leaned against the desk.

Oliver slid his gaze up to his friend.  “How could I forget?” He let out a sigh.  He had wanted to meet Felicity’s mother. Correction- he still  _ did _ want to meet her- but not under these circumstances, with his whole family looking on and Slade Wilson on his mind.

“You don’t sound very excited about meeting Donna Smoak,” Tommy said, clapping a hand down over Oliver’s shoulder.  “Trust me, she’s going to love you.”

Fighting a shudder, Oliver met Tommy’s eyes.  “If my mother doesn’t glare her to death first.”  He pushed away from the desk, turning his back to the monitor that still hadn’t produced any results. 

“What are you so worried about?  Your mother disapproves of… well… most people.”

Oliver huffed a laugh.  “You know why it’s different,” he sighed.  “This is Felicity.”

Tommy’s smirk widened.  “And if Moira had met her under different circumstances, say you bringing her home for dinner one night, then I’d say you have a right to be worried.  But your mother doesn’t know that anything went on between you while you were in Russia. She met Felicity as a hardworking confidant of Thea’s. She’d already come to respect and appreciate Felicity before anything happened between you.  I think you’re safe from Moira trying to scare off your girlfriend.”  

Tommy grabbed a tennis ball from the desk and tossed it to Oliver, who caught it and lobbed it back to him in one swift motion.

“If anything,” Tommy continued.  “You should be worried about Donna and Thea joining forces and planning your wedding behind your backs.”

“There will be no wedding planning,” Felicity’s voice called from overhead, pulling both their attention upward.  She made her way down the stairs, her cheeks reddening, and cleared her throat. “I mean, at least not until Oliver and I have a chance to… I mean, we haven’t even…”

“It was a joke, Smoak,” Tommy said with a wink, pulling her into a side hug.  “Although if I’d known it would have brought out that particular shade of purplish red, I might have joked about it sooner.”

“Tommy,” Oliver said, the slightest hint of warning in his voice.

“My apologies.”  He held up his hands in defense.  “I’m sure I’d have that deer-in-the-headlights look if people started joking about Laurel and I making that walk down the aisle.”

“It’s not deer-in-the-headlights,” Felicity said.  “It’s more like ‘oh god can you imagine Donna and Thea planning a wedding?’.”

Tommy laughed, and Oliver felt another pang of jealousy roil through him.  It retreated quickly, but he had to admit, he was feeling more and more like meeting Donna Smoak was something he should have asked Felicity about months ago.

“I think that’s enough wedding talk,” Oliver said, keeping his voice light.  And Felicity mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ at him when Tommy wasn’t looking. He gave her the tiniest, reassuring nod, before changing the subject.  “Were you able to find your hacker?”

“Making progress,” she shrugged.  “Not exactly the easiest thing to do with my mother in tow, but Alena’s doing some recon for me tonight.”  She gestured to the computer screen. “How about you? Any progress with our masked villain?”

“Trying to enhance a reflection from a picture we got at the auto body where our guy got his car work done,” Tommy interjected.  “But it’s going a little slow.”

“I see that,” Felicity said, raising a brow.  “Mind if I…?”

Oliver relinquished her seat, which Felicity captured with ease, spinning into it and landing in front of her computer like a choreographed dance routine.  She clicked a few buttons on the program and got more of the image enhanced than he had in half an hour.

Tommy’s phone buzzed, and he retrieved it, answering immediately.  “Hey,” he said, his voice soft and gentle.

Oliver wondered if that’s how striking the difference was in his own features when he spoke to Felicity.  He had to imagine it probably was. She’d softened all of his rough edges, making him the best version of himself.  And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth about Slade and everything else that happened on the island.  Not yet. Not until he was absolutely sure that his worst fears about the man in the mask were just old memories haunting him.

Tommy said something else, but he moved away from them to continue his conversation, leaving him and Felicity alone in the open space of the Foundry.

Felicity spun back around to face him.  “May take some time for the program to do it’s thing.  Maybe this is a good time for me to apologize in advance about my mother?”  She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, chewing on it the way she did when she was nervous.

“I’m sure I’m going to love her,” Oliver answered, reaching out for her hand.  “She’s a big part of what made you you. How could I not?”

She took his hand and stood, wrapping herself up in his arms.  “While I appreciate your optimism…” she blew out a breath. “My mother is just…”

“Felicity,” he said, placing a kiss in her hair, before tilting her face up to look at him.  “You know how crazy my mother makes me. You know the good and the bad about my family, and there is a lot of bad.”  He paused, looking into her eyes. “So no matter what happens tonight, no amount of maternal craziness can change how I feel about you.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

She nodded and then rested her head against his chest, squeezing him around the middle as she nestled closer and Oliver closed his eyes, resting his head against the top of hers.

A throat clearing caused Oliver to glance up, but neither he nor Felicity moved beyond that.  Tommy leaned against the doorway, arms folded across his chest.

“You two are adorable,” he said with a grin.  “I forgot how much I missed your PDA.”

Oliver rolled his eyes, releasing Felicity, who gave Tommy a scowl of her own.  “And I forgot how much I missed your witty sarcasm,” Oliver said.

Tommy shrugged.  “Like I know another way.”  He pocketed his phone as he moved toward them.  “I’d love to stay and tease your cuteness all evening, but Laurel’s cutting out of work early so we can get dinner.  But I’m looking forward to all the details about the dinner party at the Queen’s.”

“Don’t count on it,” Felicity groaned.  She stiffened and then looked toward Tommy. “Oh, I meant to mention earlier…” she blew out a long sigh.  “I know you’re keeping a low profile right now, but just stay on guard, okay?”

With a frown, Tommy took a couple steps closer.  “Ominous much, Smoak?”

“There’s this guy running for mayor from the Glades, Sebastian Blood.”  Felicity rolled her eyes. “And he’s basically making a campaign on slandering the name Merlyn because of what your father did.  This article came out today, and I wouldn’t have worried about it, except--”

“Except I’m liable to lash out in a fit of rage at any given moment?”

“Tommy, that’s not what I meant.”  She paused. “I just want you to be careful.  And safe.”

He nodded, giving her shoulder a quick squeeze.  “I gotta run,” he said, with barely a glance back at them before leaving.

“That went well,” Oliver said, crossing his arms and leaning against Felicity’s desk beside her.

She groaned as her phone beeped with a text message.  It was a photo of her mother in an overly revealing dress with the caption  _ GIRLS NIGHT OUT????? _ Felicity groaned again.

“You haven’t told your mother about dinner tonight?” Oliver asked.

“If I had,” she answered, typing a quick reply to her mother that she’d be by the mall to get her soon.  “I promise you, the outfit would be worse.”

He laughed, despite himself.  “It can’t be that bad.”

“It can,” she said, scrolling through her phone for a moment before tapping and showing him.  “This was what she wore to meet Tommy.” The sparkly, low cut dress featured diamond shaped cutouts along the sides of the waist, making it look almost like a bikini top, and the skirt’s hem was… well short was an overstatement.  “I’m pretty sure there were some guys at the bar of that restaurant thinking she was an escort.” She breathed in deeply, and exhaled. “And you may not think of me differently for it, but I can only imagine the horror on Moira and Walter’s faces if she showed up wearing anything like that.  So I’ll find her least offensive dress, and not tell her where we’re going until we’re in the car. Trust me, it’s better that way.”

“What do you think about me picking you two up at your place?  That way I can meet her before chaos at the Queen Manor descends.”

“I think you’re an angel,” she said, tipping her head back to peer at him above her.  “Couple more minutes and I think your mystery man will make himself known. Then we can run his photo through the system and see if we can get a match.”

Oliver nodded, trying to keep his mind from shouting  _ Slade _ every time he thought about the mask and the man behind it.  His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out, his mother’s name appearing on the screen.

“I’m not late for dinner already, am I?” Oliver asked, answering the call and trying to keep his tone cool.

“Of course not, don’t be ridiculous Oliver,” Moira answered.  “I am just checking in to make sure you’ll be here on time. I assume you’re intending to make a good impression on Felicity’s mother.”

Oliver sighed, moving the phone from his left ear to his right, taking a breath before answering.  “Yes, mother, I intend to make a good impression on Donna.”

“Good,” she said, and he could hear the condescension in her voice.  “I’ve taken the liberty of laying out your blue suit. You always look good in blue.  It will bring out your eyes.”

“You didn’t think I might want to pick out my own--” he began and then cut off, closing his eyes and taking another breath.  “Thank you, Mom. I’ll be home soon.” There were just some things it wasn’t worth arguing over with his mother. Moira Queen was not a woman to be ignored.  And he’d done a good deal of it the last few months. He could give her this - tonight - because he wanted everything to go as smoothly as possible when meeting Donna Smoak.

“Do you want the bad news, or the worse news?” Felicity asked, drawing his attention back toward her and the computer program.

Oliver shrugged.  “Let’s have it all.”

“Bad news is the license plate on the car is stolen, as we expected.  Worse news is the picture was too grainy to give a positive I.D. We’ll have to hope our masked man slips up the next time he ventures out.  But for now, we’ve still got a big ole pile of nothing.”

He scrubbed a hand down his face, aggravated that a whole day had passed and he had nothing to show for it.  Slade- no, the man in the mask… he couldn’t let himself get caught up in thinking it was Slade before he knew for sure- was still in the wind, still on an unknown deadly mission in Starling.  Things needed to start breaking their way if they wanted to avoid any more bloodshed.

Felicity stood and crossed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his middle.  “I know this is the worst possible time,” she said, moving her hands from around his back toward his chest.  She tapped a pink painted nail against his shirt. “But I say we make the best out of today. Hopefully you and my mother will make positive impressions on each other and we can put her back on a plane to Vegas none-the-wiser about the masked man and Deadshot threatening the city.  Because otherwise, she may try to take me back with her.”

Oliver kissed the top of her head.  “She’ll have to fight me for you,” he murmured against her ear.  “But yes, I agree we should go. We still on for me picking you two up?”

Felicity nodded and released him.  “Yep,” she said with a smile. “And I’d take your mom’s advice.  You do look amazing in that blue suit.” She offered him a wink before heading for the stairs.  “See you soon.”

With a sigh, Oliver watched her head back up the stairs.  He wasn’t sure how, but he knew he needed to push the thoughts of the masked man from his mind.  Because he had Donna Smoak to meet, and he’d be damned if he was going to mess that up.

\---

Tommy moved around the apartment lighting as many candles as he could get away with without setting off the smoke alarm. He wanted the night to go as perfect as he could get it. And with the food from Laurel’s favorite Italian place on it’s way, things were running right on schedule. 

All day Tommy could feel this hum of energy under his skin, reaching out for something to sink into, something to take down. But there hadn’t been a drop. Every time he felt like he might lose it, something else came up for him to do. He still needed the Lotus; he knew he couldn’t keep this cycle going forever. But knowing that he could reel himself back if he needed to, it had been the thing that terrified him most about coming back. The idea that he could hurt Thea or Felicity, or even Laurel. It had kept him awake more nights than it hadn’t. But coming home had been the thing he needed the most. He guessed he owed Nyssa a thanks for reminding him of that.

He went to the fridge, looking for the extra bottle he kept of the wine from their first date. Something about the night felt like a new beginning. Maybe he shouldn’t promise himself things like that. He knew he should wait until he got back from Japan. But a part of him didn’t want to wait. Waiting never did anything but ruin what he had with Laurel. And he couldn’t let that happen again.

As he pulled the glasses from the cupboard, he heard the front door open. 

Every single time she walked into a room, the air got lighter. He knew how crazy it sounded, the idea that he could feel the charge between them shifting everything. But everything with Laurel gave him that feeling. 

“Hey handsome,” she came over to him, wrapping an arm around his neck and kissing him. “What’s with the fire hazard?”

“Can’t I do something nice for you?”

She eyed him suspiciously, but still a smirk slid onto her face. “Depends on what’s for dinner.”

“Well how about mushroom risotto and lasagna fritta from Mambelli’s?” he set the glasses down on the counter so he could place his hands on her waist.

“How could you have possibly known I was craving Mambelli’s?”

“Because I know you,” he replied, nuzzling into her cheek. “So why don’t you go change into that ratty old tee shirt you never let me toss, and I will pour us some wine while I wait on the food.”

“That sounds like heaven,” she mused and pulled back from his touch. “I love having you here.”

“I love being here,” he countered. “Go or I will drink this bottle alone.”

“Give me five minutes and do not start without me, Merlyn.”

He shook with laughter as he watched her bound towards the bedroom. He grabbed for the glasses again, taking the wine off the counter as he moved to the living room.

He thought back to that first date of theirs. The guilt over leaving Oliver in Russia had been so close to the surface he had almost cancelled twice. But something Felicity had told him the night before they were meant to go out made him stick with it.  _ We can’t let the bad stuff keep us from moving forward. _ Russia had been bad, losing Oliver again had been worse. But he had wanted to move forward with Laurel. And that feeling stayed with him now, stronger than ever.

The food had just arrived when she emerged again, her hair was wet and loose around her shoulders as she dropped to the sofa. He could smell her apricot shampoo, as he set the bags on the coffee table.

“That smells so good,” she murmured, grabbing the bottle as she poured them both a glass of wine. “I needed this.”

He took the open spot next to her, letting his hand rest against her thigh. A comfortable calm passed over him, watching Laurel as she took a sip of her drink. She watched him just as closely, and Tommy could see this being how they spent the next fifty to sixty years of their life. The two of them together.

“I love you,” he whispered as he let his fingers trace over her the back of her hand. “I love you so much.”

Laurel moved her glass, setting it down before she looked at him again. But something had shifted in her eyes, he was sure of it.

“Tommy…”

“Yeah?”

“What is all this?” She gestured around the room, to the food, the wine, all the candles. “What is tonight supposed to be?”

He eyed her with confusion. “It’s dinner.”

“Is that it?”

“What else would it be?”

Laurel took a breath, before she captured his hands in hers, folding her legs under herself. “I love you, you know that right?”

“Why am I feeling a but coming?” He couldn’t figure out what had changed between then in the last few minutes, but he didn’t think it was a good thing. In fact a rush of nerves started to flood his system, throwing doubts around as hard as they could.

“It’s not a but,” she replied, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s just, you  _ just  _ came back.”

“Okay.”

“After two months Tommy. Two long months, when I didn’t know where you went or when you were coming home.”

He nodded slowly pushing himself back against the couch. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not trying to get you to apologize for that. I know what you went through must have been hell. I know I can’t ever really understand it either,” she sucked in a breath, and he watched as she wiped a tear away. “But  _ that  _ night you were shot. And I just got to thinking about how many times I had almost lost you in such a short time.”

“And then I left.”

“Yeah, then you left,” she echoed with a sad smile. “And I was so worried that I would never see you again. That something horrible would happen to you and I would never know the truth. Like when Sara and Ollie disappeared.”

“Laurel I didn’t think about--”

“You needed to take care of yourself,” she cut him off with a hand to his cheek. “I get that. And I know there’s still things you can’t tell me, things I can wait to hear about. Because I do love you, with all my heart.”

“I’m still a little confused here.”

“I just don’t think we’re ready for this?”

He twisted his face in confusion and pointed to the table. “For dinner? Because we can reheat that later if you want.”

“I’m talking about marriage Tommy.”

The gears in his head stalled out at her words. “What now?” 

“Like I said- I do love you and one day, in the future I would love to marry you. But we have a lot we still need to work through before we ever get to that point.”

“Uh Laurel,” he couldn’t help the nervous laughter. “I’m sorry, did you think I was proposing tonight?”

“What?”

“You did,” he stood up and ran a hand through his hair. “Oh my god, you did.”

“You weren’t about to--”

“No, no I wasn’t, um,” couldn’t help the sputtering. “I was just trying to… now that all of this is clicking I can see where you thought that. But I wasn’t going to. God we are not ready for that. Not that I don’t want to. I’m gonna take a breath before I keep talking.”

She had a hand over her mouth and Tommy watched as the smile turned to laughter on her own face.

“I am so sorry, I just ruined this romantic night with this,” she squeezed her eyes shut and groaned. “I just thought I should clear the air in case that’s where this was going. And now I feel a little insane.”

“I’m the one who pulled out the wine from our first date, so not insane,” he reclaimed his spot and took her hand again. “I mean you weren’t off on the romance part. I wanted tonight to be special. But not because I want to rush us to a wedding chapel.”

“This isn’t funny.”

“It’s a little funny,” he teased earning him a glare from his girlfriend. “I’m in love with you Laurel Lance. And one day, in the future, I would be honored if I can have the chance to propose to you.”

“Such a smooth talker, Merlyn.”

“It’s one of my talents,” he said as he pulled her to his side. “Tonight though, it’s just about moving past the bad stuff, moving on without fear of that crap getting in the way.”

“You mean that?” she looked him in the eyes, as she traced a finger across his jaw. “No fear?”

“When I’m with you,” he whispered as he tucked her hair behind her ear. “I don’t have anything to be afraid of.”

“Good answer,” she moved closer and kissed him. His hands pulled at her hips letting her settle into his lap as her fingers ran through his hair. This was what he had wanted most of all with coming home. The quiet moments when he and Laurel could just be themselves. Nothing from the outside world to come and crash it down. And he loved her all the more for making it even more perfect.

“The food?” he murmured. 

Laurel pulled back and gave him a look. “We can reheat it.”

“Yeah.” He nodded as he moved them, capturing her lips again as he pressed them into the couch.

He didn’t think the night would last forever, no matter how much he wished it could. So he let them have their moment, knowing full well that the next bit of darkness could already be around the corner, waiting.

\---

For once, Donna Smoak was exactly where Felicity asked her to be at the exact time she asked her to be there.  In all her twenty-plus years, Felicity couldn’t remember a single time where that had happened before. And that included her mother missing taking pictures for Felicity’s junior  _ and _ senior prom, countless field trips she was supposed to chaperone, and one very unfortunate first menstrual cycle in a mall bathroom when Felicity was 11 years old.

But when Felicity pulled up to the Starling Hills Mall that afternoon, her mother was seated on a bench outside, oversized sunglasses shielding her eyes as she animatedly chatted with a cute blond guy that looked to be about Felicity’s age.  Donna waved her arms when she spotted her daughter pulling up to the curb and pulled the guy to his feet and over toward the car.

“Felicity, baby, this is Justin.  He was just telling me about this super trendy restaurant downtown that his friend owns.”

They so did not have time for this.  “Hi Justin,” Felicity said curtly. “Thanks for keeping my mother company.  And your friend’s restaurant sounds great, but we already have plans for tonight.”  She turned her attention to her mom. “You ready?”

Donna frowned.  “No we don’t. You didn’t tell me about any plans…”

Felicity bit back a snarky reply about how her mother didn’t even tell her she was coming to town, thinking better of it and for once not letting her mouth run away without her.  “I know. I’ll tell you about it on the way. But you’ve got to hurry, or we’ll be late.”

“Secret plans?” Donna’s smile split wide.  “I love surprises!”

“I know you do,” Felicity said, attempting to keep her own tone upbeat.  They would make the best of this. Oliver deserved for her to try to have a good time.  “Bye Justin.” Felicity said, before rolling her window up.

“So you aren’t coming to the res--” Justin started, but stopped as Donna rounded the car and climbed into the passenger seat.

“Wasn’t he so cute?” Donna asked closing the door and buckling her seatbelt.

“He was… fine, I guess,” Felicity said dismissively.  “Mom, listen. I really need you to not freak out over what I’m about to tell you.”

“Did Dr. Carter call you and want to get back together?”

Felicity laughed.  “That’s not happening,” she answered quickly.  “I mean, no. Carter and I weren’t good for each other.  But I am seeing someone, and we’re having dinner with his family tonight.”

Donna bounced in her seat, giddy with excitement.  A small squeal escaped her. “Oh, there  _ was _ someone in your apartment with you this morning, wasn’t there?  I knew it. I just  _ knew _ it.  Are you sure it isn’t your friend Tommy?”

“It’s definitely not Tommy.”

“Who is it, then?”

Felicity kept her eyes on the road as she drove.  Part of her wanted to tell her mother everything; to let Donna into the little world that she and Oliver had built with each other.  After all, didn’t they say that shared joy is double joy? But Felicity also knew her mother, and she knew that there was a very real reason that she had avoided telling her for as long as she had.  And that reason had nothing to do with her feelings for Oliver. And everything to do with her mother’s propensity for overreaction.

“It’s someone… amazing,” Felicity said, deciding to keep his name out of it for now.  “He’s strong and courageous and resilient. He’s the best man I know, and…” she paused, surprised by the words that had almost passed her lips.   _ And I can’t even imagine what my life would be without him _ .  The words were true down to her very core.

Her eyes ticked across the car to her mother, who was grinning wildly at her.  

“Oh baby girl,” Donna said quietly.  “You don’t know how long I’ve waited to see that look on your face.”  She reached over, placing her hand on her daughter’s on the steering wheel.

Felicity cleared her throat.  “What look?” she asked defensively.  “There’s no look.”

“Like the sun rises and sets on that man.  Like you can’t imagine what your life would be without him.”

She looked over at her mother again, wondering how Donna could have known her thoughts.  Then again, it was her mother. And even if she didn’t always like it, her mother always knew her better than almost anyone.  Which is why it made some things that she did, like showing up unannounced or trying to set her up with some random guy at the mall, all the more maddening.  Because obviously her mother knew that she wouldn’t be interested in some random guy. And that she didn’t like surprises. But perhaps that was what made the ingima of her mother all the more curious.

They pulled up in front of Felicity’s apartment building and she put the car in park, cutting the engine.  She let out a sigh as she pulled the keys from the ignition. “I’m glad you’re here, Mom,” Felicity said quietly.  “I know I can get caught up in work sometimes. And that I don’t call or see you as much as you want me to. And even though things are crazy with my new job and--”  _ and my  _ other _ job,  _ she added silently.  “I’m just really glad you’re here.”

Donna pulled her into a tight hug.  “I know I can be impulsive and reckless,” her mother said, arms still tightly around her.  “But that’s what makes you and I fit so well, angel. You’re the calm to my storm and I’m the tequila shot to your dinner party.”

Felicity laughed.  “You are certainly that.  Let’s get inside and get ready.  He’s going to be here soon to pick us up.”

“And you really won’t tell me his name?” Donna asked as they climbed out of the car.

“You like surprises,” Felicity said with a smile.  “Besides, you’ll see soon enough.”

“Does that mean I’ll know him by name?” her mother asked, giddily.  “Is it someone famous?”

With another laugh, Felicity unlocked the front door of the apartment building and ushered her mother inside.  She might drive her crazy sometimes, but there was also something calming about being around her mother, the woman that knew all of her childhood hopes and dreams, that kissed scraped knees and forgot as many school functions and PTA meetings as she remembered.  Good or bad, right or wrong, this was the woman that raised Felicity to be the woman that she had become. And maybe she needed to remember that a little more often.

“Want a glass of wine while we get ready?” Felicity asked, moving toward the kitchen.

“Always,” Donna called back, halfway down the hall already.

Felicity poured two glasses and made her way to the bedroom.  But her phone beeped from her purse and she turned around, heading back for it first. She balanced both glasses in one hand while she retrieved the device and checked the messages.  Alena.

_ Found him at the third bar I checked near his office.  Gotta love happy hour. _

She put down the glasses to type back a reply.   _ Be safe.  Spyware only. _   She hated not being there, not seeing Myron in person to determine his guilt or innocence.  Not that she’d be able to from just looking at him… probably.

It was another minute before a reply came.  _ I’m always safe.  Keep you posted. _

Felicity could hear the water running in the bathroom.  Her mother would probably be redoing her makeup for their dinner, despite the full face of makeup she already had on.   _ That’s my day look _ , she could imagine her saying.   _ Dinner with your boyfriend’s family requires an evening look _ .

At least it gave her some time to decide what she was wearing in peace.  If she was already dressed before her mother emerged from the bathroom, there was less of a chance of arguing over what she was wearing.  She knocked on the door to the bathroom before opening it, finding her mother bent over the sink washing her face.

“I come bearing gifts,” Felicity said, depositing the second glass of wine on the counter.

“I certainly raised you right,” Donna said, grabbing a towel from beside her and pressing it to her face before standing to face her daughter.  “Thanks baby. I just need to re-do my makeup. Dinner with your mystery man’s family needs a bolder, evening look.”

Felicity laughed, but didn’t tell her mother why.  She’d heard how many variations of the same speech growing up?  Was it any wonder she’d almost nailed word-for-word her mother’s response.  Instead, she closed the door between them again, and headed for the closet.  

When her mother emerged fifteen minutes later, Felicity was zipped into a bright pink cocktail dress with an embroidered lace detail on the neck and bottom hem. She was perched on the bed, slipping into a pair of pink and gold heels.

“Oh Felicity!” Donna cried.  “That dress is stunning. So much better than that goth phase you went through in college.”

“Agreed,” she answered with a huff of laughter.  “You look… nice too.” She struggled to keep the surprise from her voice.  Especially considering the revealing dresses that her mother generally wore.  The black dress that Donna had on was still probably a little more skin than Felicity hoped she’d wear to meet the always demure Moira Queen, but it wasn’t anything she felt she had to wrangle her mother out of.

“Of course I do,” her mother said, spinning around in a circle.  “I’ve been doing Pilates five days a week, you know. The new owner of the MGM Grand pays for all the staff to attend any classes they want.  And one of the personal trainers at the hotel gym has been giving me and some of the girls classes before our shifts right there at the hotel.”

A knock sounded on the door and Felicity jumped up from the bed, startled.  Oliver hadn’t texted to say that he was on his way. She reached for her phone and glanced down at it.  Or maybe he had… ten minutes ago.

“I’ll get it!” Donna exclaimed.  “You finish getting ready. It will give me some time to chat with your new man.”

Anxiety gripped Felicity, but she pushed it down.  Oliver would have to meet her mother eventually. Besides, they were long-since passed the point of something like an overzealous mother scaring one of them off.  They’d been through countless near-death experiences together, run for their lives together, fought off deranged psychopaths and covert government agencies and the Russian mob for god’s sake.  So why did Oliver finally meeting her mother seem like such a big deal?

She heard the front door open, and her mother squealed in delight, clapping her hands together.  Felicity shook her head and let out a sigh. A tiger couldn’t change its stripes.

And then she heard his voice- confident and warm and all of the anxiety inside her melted away.

“Donna Smoak?  Hi, I’m Oliver Queen.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies,  
> Welcome to a new chapter. I promise this one will finally be full of all the stuff you have been waiting for. So I won't keep you from it.  
> But I did want to take a moment and thank all of you for reading and commenting. You really make our weeks brighter.
> 
> love ya,  
> Kayla

Oliver felt his nerves build as he reached Felicity’s door. He had texted her to let her know he was enroute, but she hadn’t replied. Any other time and Oliver would have been worried that her phone wasn’t glued to her hand. But he assumed between her mother and getting ready that Felicity just hadn’t thought to check it. So when he reached out and knocked, he took every bit of training he had and pushed his thoughts back. He would be charming and confident. And most importantly, he wouldn’t let whatever crap was happening in the city ruin this moment. 

Because he had dreamed of things like this. Back in Russia, in that sliver of time when he allowed himself to think of a future with Felicity, he thought about this. What he’d say, how he’d smile, all to impress the most important person in Felicity’s life. 

Everything about their relationship had been a maze of uncertainty. But how he felt, and how fiercely he felt it, never was up for question. And that’s what he hoped Donna would take from this night, that he planned to love her daughter for a very long time. 

The door opened, and while Oliver had been expecting Felicity, that was not who greeted him. Donna squealed when she saw him, and Oliver really couldn’t hold back his smile. She was something else that was for sure.

“Donna Smoak?  Hi, I’m Oliver Queen.” he held out his hand and Donna took it with delight.

“Of course you are,” she said with so much joy. “I mean I do know who you are Mr. Queen. I’m just surprised to see you here.”

“Oliver is just fine,” he replied as she let go of him. “Felicity told you I was coming right?”

“Mom, could you maybe let Oliver in already?” 

He looked up at the sound of her voice. Something about Felicity always had the talent of stopping him right in his tracks. He could get lost in her beauty and brought home by her mind for the rest of his life.

“Yes, sorry of course.” 

Donna motioned for him to enter and as he did Felicity came to stand next to him. He leaned down and placed a kiss just on the shell of her ear. “You look lovely.”

“Thank you,” she grinned, as he pulled back a little, but pulled her arm through his so she wouldn’t have to go far. 

“Felicity Megan Smoak,” Donna said, and it brought Felicity’s attention away from him, and if he had to guess away from his tie that he fingers had just been about to tug on. “You could have told me you were dating Oliver Queen.”

“Mom, I just thought that it would be…”

She trailed off and Oliver took the chance to step in. “It’s my fault actually. See we didn’t get to do the whole ‘meet the parents’ thing with my mother. Because Felicity has been good friends with my sister for years. And I asked her if we could hold off on telling you until we could do so in person.”

“Oh well, that seems understandable,” she gave him a big smile. “You are clearly a step up from Dr. Carter. He never wanted to meet me.”

“Well selfishly I’m glad,” he paused long enough to look down at Felicity. “Because his loss, has certainly been my gain.”

“Isn’t that just the sweetest thing I have ever heard.”

Felicity moved out of his embrace, grabbing her coat and purse from the couch. “We should get going before your mother thinks we bailed on dinner.” 

He nodded. Because Moira Queen was never a woman to be kept waiting. He followed both women out of the apartment, and as Felicity paused to lock the door, he could hear Donna lean in and whisper to her.

“You could have have given me some kind of warning _. _ I mean,  _ Oliver Queen!  _ Oh your kids are gonna be beautiful.”

“Mom,” Felicity hissed back. And Oliver had to hide his grin. The evening would be interesting for sure.

It took them about twenty minutes to drive to the Queen estate. And the longer Oliver was in a car with Donna, the more he understood his girlfriend. 

Rambling seemed to be the way the Smoak women communicated the most. And with every story she told about Felicity, Oliver found himself falling more and more in love. Not just with her either. He was starting to realize that loving Felicity would mean having Donna in his life forever. And that was a brightness he couldn’t ever turn away.

“Oh whoa,” Donna managed to say as he pulled to a stop in front of his family home. 

He couldn’t help feeling a little self conscious as he saw it from an outside perspective. The place could be a castle to anyone else. And he could recall more than one occasion of it feeling like a prison to himself. But the night wasn’t about the past, it was about moving towards a future. 

“Yeah it’s a little big,” he managed to say, earning him a laugh from Felicity. He watched her roll her eyes in the rearview mirror as she opened the back door.

They made their way to the door and Oliver could practically feel the anxiety coming off of Felicity in waves. He reached for her hand, and laced their fingers together. 

“Don’t worry,” he said softly as he pulled open the front door.

Usually stepping through those doors filled Oliver with the same set of thoughts and memories each time. But this time he saw something else as he and Felicity walked together. He saw a future where William would play with Thea on the balcony. He saw other children, he saw himself and Felicity. His family home used to fill him with such regret over the life his parents wanted him to live. But he didn’t feel that way anymore. He wasn’t sure when it happened, but he knew that after he came home, somehow he had stopped living for them, for his father’s mission, and he had started living for himself, for his future.

“Thank god you’re finally here,” Thea said as she came into the foyer.

“You saw me an hour ago Speedy.”

She shot him a look and rolled her eyes. “I was talking to Donna, not you.”

Donna rushed to Thea, the two of them giving each other a tight hug. “Thea, you are just a vision.”

“And you look amazing,” she replied with a smirk. “I love that dress.”

“Thank you,” Donna pulled back and grinned. “Did you know Felicity and your brother were dating?”

“Thea have your mother and Walter opened the wine yet?” Felicity asked, and he could feel her squeeze his hand tighter. 

“Walter’s gonna be late actually,” Thea shrugged. “There was an accounting error or something at QC. But he told us to start dinner without him.”

“But that’s nothing new in this family.” Oliver turned to see his mother enter  the foyer from the kitchen. And a fraction of the nerves from earlier ran through him again. He wanted this night to go well. He needed things to go well. And his mother had a tendency to make hasty judgements. 

Moira rounded the group and smile at Donna, like she was taking her in. Oliver felt like he and Felicity were holding the same breath as his mother spoke. “You must be Donna. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Hello,” Donna said as she smiled. “You have a lovely home, Mrs. Queen.”

“Nonsense, please call me Moira.” 

Oliver felt like he had stepped through some portal to another world. His mother smiled and seemed like she genuinely wanted Donna to like her. He had expected her to be polite. But this seemed like more.

“Moira,” Donna repeated as she took a breath. “I’m so happy to get to meet you. Even if I wasn’t aware of dinner until a couple of hours ago.”

His mother cut her gaze over to him, and he was reminded of a particularly bad suspension when he was 14. “Oliver I think I gave you plenty of time to inform Donna of this dinner. Honestly I think you--”

“Mom,” he cut her off, with a smile. “Perhaps we should invite Felicity and her mother into the living room for drinks before dinner?”

She took a breath and then smiled back at Donna. “I already know which Felicity would prefer. But can I get you white or red Donna?”

“Oh red wine for sure,” she replied with a grin. “Felicity did get some good things from me.”

“Red it is.”

Felicity turned to him, and he couldn’t help but chuckle at the look on her face. “You happy about this?”

He shrugged and pulled her closer. “I’m not unhappy.”

“If those two hit it off, our lives will be even more,” she made a gesture with her hands that he could only assume meant chaos. “You’ve been warned.”

“And yet I’m still standing here,” he pulled her to him. “And there’s nowhere I’d rather be.”

She pushed up on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck. Oliver was about to kiss her when Thea cleared her throat.

“Baby sister, still in viewing distance guys.”

“You could leave?” he offered. 

But Felicity had already pulled her arms back as she made her way to Thea’s side. “Let’s go keep our mom’s from forming a book club or something.”

“But this is fun,” Thea replied with a grin.

He glared at her, but before he could say something his phone began to ring. 

He prayed for a wrong number, or at least something he didn’t have to deal with right then. He couldn’t bail out of dinner. Not this one. If it was Digg he’d ask him to handle things for a couple hours. That’s all he needed. But the name that flashed on his caller ID wasn’t John or Sara. It was Samantha.

He looked up at Felicity and Thea, and motioned to the hall. “I’ve got to take this. I’ll meet you two in there.”

“This isn’t  _ work _ related, is it?” Thea asked, and he heard the stress she put on the word. “Because Mom might literally stab you if you leave right now.”

“It’s not, and I’m not leaving,” he leaned over to kiss Felicity on the cheek, adding as quiet as he could. “It’s Samantha.”

When he pulled back she smiled at him. “Go, take the call. I will be keeping Thea from drinking my wine.”

“You can try,” Thea teased.

He waited until they went into the living room before he answered the call. “Hey.”

“Hi,” she said and he could hear a bit of commotion in the background. “I hope I didn’t call you at a bad time.”

He wandered down the hall until he slipped into the study. “It’s alright. Is everything okay? William isn’t sick or hurt is he?”

“No, of course not,” she paused and he could hear her sigh. “Ever since you left he’s been asking about you. And really still kind of jazzed about his ‘new friend’ Oliver. He’s kind of wound up right now. And I thought maybe you would like to talk to him before bed. And he would probably love it too.”

Oliver felt a weight lift off him. He saw Sam’s name and kind of feared the worst. It’s how life usually worked for him. Anytime something went well, something else had to fall. Always.

“I would love to talk to him,” he said and even though no one could see he smiled. “Thank you.”

“Hold on,” she said and he could hear her as she called away from the phone. “Will the phone’s for you.”

Oliver waited as the phone transferred to his son. 

“Hello?”

“Hey, buddy how are you?”

“Oliver!” His volume jumped by the end of Oliver’s name. “How was your trip home?”

“Not too bad,” he said and then remembered how he used to have to give Thea random details to keep her interested. “I saw a turtle on the side of the road.”

“Cool,” William said. “Was it like a Ninja Turtle?”

“Sadly no. But that would have been awesome,” he took a deep breath, listening as William started listing off all the Ninja Turtles and describing why each one of them was so cool. 

It was a few minutes of his son explaining how the turtles got their powers before he stopped for a second and sighed. “My mom says I have to get ready for bed now.”

“Well you should listen to your mom, she’s pretty smart,” Oliver said and grinned. “But thank you for talking to me.”

“Next time we’ll talk X-Men.”

“I look forward to it, buddy,” he replied as the door to the study creaked open. He figured it was just Felicity come to check that everything was alright. “Get some sleep. Tell your mom I said goodnight.”

“Night Oliver,” William said before hanging up.

Oliver slipped his phone back into his pocket just as someone cleared their throat. And he knew from the tone that it wasn’t Felicity behind him.

“I was wondering what would pull you away from dinner with Felicity and her mother,” Moira said as he turned to face her. “Who were you talking to?”

This wasn’t how he wanted to tell her. The wounds of how much he lost with William were still so fresh in his mind. And a part of him selfishly wanted to keep his son from her just as she had done to him. But that wasn’t fair to William. His entire life had been kept a secret. And he owed him a better future than that.

“My son,” he said it as a whisper, feeling the words take root in reality. Words he had only spoken to the fewest of people. But they felt so good to say out loud. In the same house he had lost them in. 

Realization dawned on her face as she pursed her lips. “When you were out of town, you were...”

“Meeting him?” Oliver finished with a smile. “Yeah I was.”

She looked like she might cry. “I”m so happy that you were able to do that. I know that I still have a long way to go until we get past what I did. But thank you for telling me.”

He stood and moved to her, pulling her into an embrace. “We will get past things Mom. It’s still gonna take some time. But I believe that we will.”

“Good,” she smiled at him. “Just don’t wait too long to tell Felicity. She doesn’t deserve the lies.”

“I haven’t lied to her,” he admitted with a shrug. And his mother seemed to watch him closely. “When I found out, I knew I had to tell her the truth.”

“You truly love her, don’t you?”

“More than anything,” and the words felt so right as he said them. “I can’t imagine my life without her.”

She nodded and took a step back. “We should get dinner on the table. Our guests are hungry and I would love to find out more about Donna Smoak.”

“Let’s eat then,” he took a deep breath and followed her out. He could only hope the rest of dinner went as smoothly as it began.

\---

Tommy couldn’t remember a time when he and Laurel had ever had dinner in bed.  Breakfast, sure, plenty of times. But something about the brevity of his time in Starling made Tommy want to savor every minute he had with her.  So sometime after their forgotten food had grown cold, Tommy made her stay in bed while he reheated their dinner and brought it with him to the bedroom.

“We could have eaten at the table,” Laurel said, leaning against the headboard with the sheet pulled up over her.

“Not naked,” Tommy grinned roguishly as he passed her the risotto and slid between the sheets beside her.

“That would have been chilly, I’ll admit.”

He wanted this to last, for as long as humanly possible.  Even though he knew it wouldn’t, it couldn’t. Soon enough he and Nyssa and Oliver would be on a plane bound for Japan to search out the Lotus.  At the thought, tendrils of anger ghosted through his mind, reminding Tommy of just why they had to leave so soon. Because the Pit’s hold on him was no minute thing.  It was unyielding and unrelenting, and so much of his days were a battle just to retain control.

“Tommy?”

“I’m fine,” he said, releasing a breath.  He offered her a reassuring smile, but wasn’t sure it did the job.  Besides, he could feel the waning effects of leaving Nanda Parbat. His training had been steady there.  And so had… what he’d needed to do to sate the bloodlust. His last kill had been several days ago now. He would need to find another before they made their way to the Lotus.  One more kill before he was cured and he could finally put this hellish nightmare behind him.

He thought back to when he’d first started working for Amanda Waller.  He’d refused to even carry a gun. He had never even thought about taking another human being’s life.  And now he quite literally couldn't live without it. The thought made his stomach turn.

“Not hungry?” Laurel asked, pulling his attention back out of his own head.

Tommy glanced down at the plate in his hands.  The fritta from Mambelli’s that had his stomach making whale noises a couple of hours ago when he’d first pulled it from the take-out container.  Now he couldn't look at it without a feeling of revulsion.  

He forced a smirk on to his features.  “Only for you,” he teased playfully.  

“You’re deflecting.”

“That is correct, Counselor,” Tommy said in his most official sounding voice.  He frowned at the less-than-amused look Laurel shot him. “I’m really fine,” he amended.  “Just looking forward to being back to normal. Or at least as normal as possible considering what my father did to the city, a man running for office basically has it out for me, oh, and the company with my name on it is likely in ruins because I skipped town right after my father died.”

“Tommy…” Laurel said quietly.  “I heard about Sebastian Blood.  I’m sorry.”

He shook his head.  “Can’t blame the guy.  What Malcolm did was unforgivable.  I understand that the people of Starling want a scapegoat.  Who better than the only Merlyn left in the city?”

“But you aren’t your father.”

Tommy smiled.  “And I’ll prove that to Starling.  And to Sebastian Blood. But I can’t do that until I’m… fixed.  Confrontation right now would not end well.” He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.  “You are truly amazing. You know that?”

“I do,” Laurel grinned before taking another bite of the risotto.  “But I’ll never tire of hearing you say it.”

“So where exactly did we fall on the proposal thing?” Tommy asked, earning himself a smack in the arm.  “I’m kidding.”

“And I’m mortified,” she answered.  “I can’t believe Felicity and I have both done that.  So embarrassing.”

A noise in the hall cut off Tommy’s reply.  He put a finger to his lips and handed Laurel the plate of food he’d been holding, and then reached into his nightstand for the locked gun case he kept there.  He slid out of bed and removed the gun, creeping to the door.

“Merlyn you best be here,” Nyssa’s voice called from the hallway.  “I refuse to chase you all over town.”

Tommy relaxed, lowering the gun and pulling the bedroom door open.  He’d never been so glad to have boxers on. “What are you doing inside my apartment?” he asked, annoyed.

“You would prefer I wait in the hallway to be spotted by one of your neighbors?  Do you remember the last time someone in your government attempted to question me.”

“Hey,” he shot back.  “I was the last person who attempted to question you.”

“And that did not end well for you,” Nyssa said, crossing her arms over her chest.  “Now did it?”

Laurel appeared at his side, the bed sheet wrapped around her.  “You must be Nyssa,” she said quietly.

“I don’t know if I must be.  But yes, I am Nyssa Al-Ghul, heir to the Demon.”

“Quite a mouthful,” Tommy said, attempting to lighten the tension in the room.  “Did you break in or apparate somehow?”

Nyssa narrowed her eyes.  “The lock on your front door was easy enough to pick.”

“My sister told me about you,” Laurel said, clearing her throat.  “After Tommy left. She wondered if he went to that place. Because of what you gave him.  She told me what you did for her. That you found her on that island. That you saved her and trained her to protect herself.”  She paused, and then cautiously added, “that you loved her.”

Nyssa’s gaze, which had been trained on Tommy, darted to Laurel at that.  “Taer-” she said and then broke off. “Sara,” she corrected. “She shouldn’t have told you that.”

“Don’t blame her,” Laurel said, softening.  “I was in a rough place after Tommy left. I think she wanted to make me feel better with the idea that he was there with you.  That maybe you were helping him like you helped her.” She paused, smiling. “I’m glad she was right.”

Nyssa, on the other hand, looked like Laurel had just compared her to a fluffy kitten.  “I was duty-bound to Tommy for what the Lazarus Pit did to him. It was not done out of fondness.”

“I bet you say that to all the guys,” Tommy grinned, pulling Nyssa’s death-stare away from Laurel.  “Now, would you like to tell me why you broke into my place this evening? Whatever it was, you could have called.”

“We must leave tomorrow in search of the Lotus.  I am sure you are already feeling the effects of--”

“Tomorrow,” Tommy agreed, not wanting Laurel to hear anything else.  She didn’t need the specifics.

“No,” Laurel said, grabbing Tommy’s hand.  “That’s too soon.”

He kissed the top of her head, pulling her close.  “I won’t be gone long. And then this will all be a bad memory.”

“Then let me at least come with you,” Laurel said, an almost pleading tone to her voice.  And then it dropped to a whisper, only for him to hear. “I just got you back.”

“I have no idea how dangerous this is going to be Laurel.  But I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you. I can’t have you there with me.”  He breathed in the scent of her and something inside him broke. Would this mission end his life?  Or just his suffering? “Besides,” he said, steadying his voice as he continued. “Starling needs it’s amazing new ADA to keep putting the criminals away.  You make this city a safer place every day that you’re in it.”

“What about Mr. Diggle?  Haven’t you hired him as a bodyguard before?”

Tommy smiled, giving her a gentle squeeze.  “I’ve got some protection lined up. Besides, Nyssa here can hold her own.”

“I will procure us seats on the first outbound flight.”

But he shook his head.  “No need,” Tommy said. “I can get us there.”

“I will leave you to your evening,” Nyssa said with a nod, and turned to leave.

“Nyssa?” Laurel called after her, making the other woman pause at the door.  “I’m glad I got to meet you.” She gave her a small smile. “Thank you for keeping the people I love safe.”

Another nod, and Nyssa turned soundlessly and let herself out.

“I don’t want you to go,” Laurel said, turning in Tommy’s arms to face him.  “I know why you have to, I just… I want you to come back to me. Safe and whole and ready to start our life together.”

Tommy ticked up a brow.  “That, Ms. Lance, sounds suspiciously like a proposal.”

Laurel smacked him playfully.  “I’m never living that down, am I?”

He shook his head.  “Doubtful.”

“I just mean,” Laurel said, pulling him tightly against her.  “Between you getting shot and finding out about ARGUS and then everything that happened with your father and you being gone.”  She sighed. “It’s been a rocky road these last several months. And that was before you up and disappeared.”

“I know.”

“I’m just ready for you to be here and us to find our groove and get back to some of the good stuff.”

“Me too,” Tommy said, dropping a kiss onto her lips.  “You have no idea how much.”

He wasn’t planning on leaving so soon.  Even if he knew they’d need to. He wanted more of this, more of everything that Laurel wanted.  He wanted days of sunshine and laughter and her wrapped up in his arms.

Laurel blew out a breath.  “Then come back to me, Tommy.”

He kissed her again, slow and deliberate, using his mouth against hers to tell her all the things he couldn’t bring himself to voice.   _ I promise _ , his kisses said.  Against her lips, her cheek, her shoulders.   _ I promise _ , on her eyelids and forehead and collarbone.   _ I promise _ against every inch of skin, until nothing but the words and her remained.

\---

Maybe she had overreacted a little to the idea of her mom and Moira meeting each other. Felicity was a strong enough person to admit that to herself. Not to anyone else of course, but to herself for sure. 

Donna had this lightness, this carefree attitude, that Felicity had been sure Moira wouldn’t find appealing. Felicity herself could only take it in small doses. But the Queen matriarch, seemed to genuinely enjoy her mother’s stories. 

“Moira this souffle is fantastic,” her mom said through another bite. “I mean the Grand’s buffet has nothing on you.”

“I cannot take all the credit,” Moira replied as she sipped her wine. “I just remembered how much Oliver used to love them when he was younger, and Raisa spent the afternoon getting everything prepared.”

“Souffles were your favorite dessert?” Felicity teased as she laced their fingers together under the table. Not that she couldn’t do it in plain view of everyone, but it always felt more intimate, more personal, when no one could see.

“I was a complicated child,” he replied, taking another bite of his. 

“Don’t let him fool you, Felicity,” Thea piped in. “He also used to put ketchup on his potato chips.”

“And let’s stop the Oliver stories now,” he said throwing a glare towards his sister.

“Well I would like to hear at least one more,” Donna said, and Felicity turned to face her mother. Hoping against the odds that it wasn’t something too outlandish. Donna looked between them with a grin. “How is it you and my daughter came to be an item?”

“Mom,” Felicity shook her head. “Let’s not get into all that right now. I mean there’s twists and things.”

“I’m actually interested to hear it myself,” Moira said with a smile. “I mean I know when it happened. I just hadn’t been aware that it  _ was  _ happening.”

Felicity gave him a look, hoping he had a way out of this double mother trap, that apparently had been set for them. How could they have teamed up so quickly?

“Well Mom, as you may remember Felicity was with someone else the first time we met,” he replied his eyes dancing with a little mischief. And now she was sure she should have taken the lead on storytelling. 

“Oh you two met while you were still seeing Carter?”

“It wasn’t like that,” Felicity added, with a smile. “But a few nights after Oliver came back, we were invited to dinner here. So yes that was the first time we met.”

“And I couldn’t get her out of my head after that,” he said not taking his eyes from hers. “I learned that very quickly.”

“Ahem,” Thea said pulling everyone attention. “I’m pretty sure I’m like 90% of the reason you two are even a thing. I have a knack for matchmaking.”

“It’s called meddling,” he said, but Thea just stuck her tongue out to him.

“In all seriousness,” Felicity took control of the conversation back, meeting her mom’s gaze for a second before she was back to Oliver. “Once we got out of our heads, and out of our own ways, things just kind of fell into place.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” he whispered, and she couldn’t help but lean in to give him a quick kiss. 

She wasn’t quite done yet. “Not to mention he kept coming to me with these ridiculous tech problems.”

“They weren’t that ridiculous.”

“You spilled a latte on a laptop so I could look at it,” she recalled, leaving out the gaping bullet sized holes in that story. 

Oliver watched her with a grin. “That was not on purpose.”

“Sure it wasn’t,” she couldn’t help but tease. It was nice to take some of their history and put a more pleasant spin on it. Part of her recognized it as a lie, but the larger part knew their parents would never understand the truth. So why not take a grain of truth and make it something kinder. Something that could make Oliver smile like that.

It felt like something new being this open and carefree with someone she loved, especially in front of her mother. But Felicity didn’t think she could pull it back even if she tried. Some time ago she had fallen so head first for him. It wasn’t a bad thing, at least it didn’t feel that way. But it did leave her wondering sometimes, if the intensity of her feelings for Oliver would have been the same had they met under different circumstances. Would things be different for them had she never met him in that cafe in Russia, not the way she felt, but how deeply she felt it? She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer. 

Her phone beeped in her purse, and she would have ignored it had Oliver’s not also gone off a second later.

They both froze. Usually when they got texts within seconds of each other, something had happened, something citywide and usually bad. 

But Oliver didn’t look concerned as he pulled his phone out, nodding at it once, as he typed out a reply. He looked up and gave his mother an apologetic look. “I’m afraid we’re going to have to cut the evening short.”

“Oliver, if it’s club business can it not wait until tomorrow?” 

He sighed. “It’s not the club, Mom. It’s… it’s Tommy.”

She eyed him closely, as some threads of a story worked quickly through his mind. 

“Is he alright?” she could hear the concern in Moira’s voice. She knew a little of how things had twisted between her and Tommy when the truth about Thea had come out. But she also knew Moira cared for him a great deal. Like any mother would.

“He’s in a bit of a bind,” Oliver replied, flashing her a look as he continued. “He needs me to come to Tokyo and help him out. As soon as possible.”

Moira stood from the table, and Oliver looked a little dumbfounded, as she came back with her purse.

She pulled a business card from her billfold and handed it to him. “This is the name an old attorney friend of your father’s. He lives just outside the city. If Tommy needs legal help, you call him. Tell him I sent you and that any and all bills come to me.”

“Mom I don’t think Tommy’s in legal trouble,” he said, but still took the card. “But I promise if he is, I’ll call.”

He stood from his chair, and Felicity followed him. “It was a lovely dinner, Moira. Thank you so much for having us.”

“You are welcome any time,” she replied then looked to Donna. “Both of you.”

“Thank you, Moira. I look forward to more dinners,” Donna added as she stood too. “I just want to use the ladies room before we go. Too much wine and a car ride not a good combo.”

Thea laughed as she pulled Donna in. “I will show you where it is.”

“We’ll grab the coats, Mom,” Felicity called as she grabbed her own phone out of her purse. 

“Is that Tommy as well?” Moira asked.

Felicity glanced down, seeing Alena’s name across her screen. “No it’s actually work related. I can text her back later.”

“Oliver,” Moira turned back to her son. “When you see Tommy, please tell him that we all wish he’d come home. And tell him that I’m… tell him I would like to see him when he does.”

“I will.”

She nodded as she took a breath. “It was lovely meeting your mother Felicity. But I think I will retire to my room. Have a safe trip, sweetheart.”

He watched her retreat from the room, and only when Moira was out of earshot, did he turn to her. “Was that about our hacker?”

“Maybe,” she shrugged. “Alena dropped the spyware on Myron. Now it’s a waiting game to see what bites.”

He gave her a look Felicity was sure meant he was gearing up for resistance. “Could you do me a favor that I know you’re not going to like?”  

“And what’s that?” Though she had a pretty good idea where this was going. 

“If this Myron guy turns out to be your hacker could you at least hold off on confronting him until Tommy and I are back in Starling?”

“Oliver--”

“Look I know you can handle yourself,” he continued in a rush. “I know that you’re gonna say he’s just a computer guy, and you’ll be careful. But we both know there are more pieces of this puzzle that aren’t fitting together. And I would feel better knowing you weren’t going after a guy who could be connected to something much worse than messing with the city grid.”

“You done?”

“Maybe.”

She rolled her eyes, placing a hand on his cheek. “I was going to say, Oliver I promise to wait until you get back. But after the rambling I feel like I should make sure you’re fit for air travel.”

“I’m serious Felicity. I can’t have something bad happen to you when I’m half a world away,” he whispered, taking her hand in his. “I wouldn’t leave if it was for anything less than helping Tommy. Not right now.”

“I will be fine,” she said as she kissed him softly. “You’ll be gone a week tops, and then when you get back we solve this mystery and nail these jerks to the wall. Metaphorically speaking.”

“I love you,” he mouthed as he let her feet slip back to the floor. “And I promise I will be back as soon as possible.”

“I’m gonna hold you to that.” She paused when she heard movement back in the hall. “Let’s go, you have some packing to do.”

\---


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there lovelies,  
> Welcome back to another exciting chapter. We're so glad you enjoyed the dinner party at the Queen's. Everyone loves Donna, (although it seemed to surprise some of you that Moira did too...). Anyway, we're back onto other business... so we hope you enjoy! Much love to you all.
> 
> -Cassie

Even though Oliver knew they’d have to leave for Japan soon, he hadn’t expected an emergency text from Tommy in the middle of dinner.  Hadn’t expected that text to say that they were leaving first thing in the morning.

Not that it was a huge problem in the grand scheme of things.  Although it would cut short his visit with Felicity’s mother. And there were still plenty of threats in the city.  Deadshot had been quiet the last couple of days, but Oliver knew better than to think that the assassin had left Starling so soon.  And there was still the man in the mask, and the hacker Felicity was tracking. Both of which gave him pause as he packed his belongings into a duffle bag back at Felicity’s apartment early the next morning.

“You look deep in thought,” she said, her voice thick with sleep.

Oliver glanced over his shoulder.  “Did I wake you?” He moved to her side and sat on the edge of the bed.

“No,” Felicity answered, stifling a yawn.  “Well maybe.”

“It’s still early,” he said, nodding his head toward the window where grey light was barely beginning to filter in from outside.  “Why don’t you try to get some more sleep?”

She shook her head and sat up a little more fully, combing her fingers through her hair.  “I wish I could go with you. It would be like old times.”

Oliver leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead.  “There will be other adventures,” he murmured to her.

“What were you thinking about?  Before you knew I was awake?”

He blew out a breath.  “Just that it’s hard for me to leave you here.  With Deadshot and everything else going on.”

“I’ll be fine,” Felicity said, leaning into him.  “John already told me that you’ve got him and Sara taking turns checking in on me.  And I promised you no movement on the Myron front.” She yawned and stretched. “So go get our friend back to normal and we’ll deal with everything else when you get home.”

Oliver nodded, even as the uncertainty bloomed in his chest.  Something about leaving her behind in a city with Deadshot and the unknown man in the orange and black mask made Oliver beyond anxious.  But just as he’d told Felicity the night before- anything less than Tommy needing him, and he wouldn’t be leaving at all.

“Tell your mom I look forward to seeing her again soon?”

“I will,” she said.  “I think dinner last night went really well.  Even if it was a bit jarring to see my mother and your mother in the same room together.”

“I think it went perfectly,” Oliver said, leaning over and giving her another kiss- this time against her lips.  “I’ll call you when I can.”

“Be safe.”  She placed a hand against his chest, her eyes studying his for a long moment.

Oliver swallowed hard, finding it difficult to tear his gaze away from her and withdraw from her touch.  If he had any less willpower, he’d never let either of them leave that bed. He stood and crossed the room, reaching for his jacket and the duffle bag before heading for the fire escape.

“You could use the door, you know,” Felicity said, a hint of amusement in her voice.

“Don’t want to wake your mom.”  He slid the window open and ducked halfway through it.  “I love you.”

Felicity’s face lit up like a firework on the 4th of July.  “You too,” she said, as she settled back against the pillows and snuggled into the blanket.  She yawned again, her eyes growing heavy.

Crossing the threshold of the window, Oliver slid it back into place before making his way to the ground floor.  He loved that look on her face, when those three little words make an appearance and it’s like she’s remembering everything it took to get them to that place.  At least, he assumed that was what made her smile like that. It was certainly at the forefront of his mind whenever she told him that she loved him. How far they’d come, how much they’d overcome.  And how damn lucky he was that he had her in his life after everything.

His phone rang just as he dropped from the ladder onto the alley behind Felicity’s building.  

“I’m on my way,” he told Tommy after retrieving it and answering.  “I’ll be there in ten.”

“Or you could turn around?” Tommy said with a laugh.

Oliver spun on his heel, noting the dark BMW at the end of the alley.  “You know that’s a little creepy, right?”

“I couldn't sleep,” Tommy sighed.  “But if you don’t want the ride.”

He ended the call and jogged to Tommy’s car, depositing his bag in the back seat before sliding into the passenger side.

“How’d it go with Laurel?” Oliver asked as Tommy put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb. He was beyond grateful that it wasn’t weird with them.  Considering Oliver and Laurel’s past and the fact that Tommy and Felicity were as good of friends as they were. It could easily have found its way to weird territory, but somehow, it never had.

“Good as can be expected,” Tommy said, keeping his focus on the road.  “But Nyssa came by last night and said it was time to go. Hate to say that I agree with her, but Nanda Parbat…” he trailed off.

Not for the first time, Oliver wondered exactly what had happened there with the League of Assassins.  Whatever they’d done to help Tommy get through the last two months, they were clearly taking a toll on him mentally.

“I understand,” Oliver said.  And he did. There were plenty of things about Russia that he hadn’t told a soul.  Not only Russia, but also going back to the island after that. He knew what it was like to be in a dark place that he wasn’t sure he’d come back from.  But he had come back, and Tommy had been there for him. So Oliver would do whatever it took to bring Tommy back from whatever brink his friend found himself on now.

“Thanks man.”

They pulled onto the airstrip and Tommy parked near the Merlyn hanger.  The jet was already gassed up and waiting on the runway nearby. Nyssa stood beside the open door of the plane, looking as friendly as ever.

She waited for them to approach, arms crossed over her chest.  And Oliver hadn’t noticed it at first, but as they got closer, there was something different about her demeanor.  She still looked as intimidating as ever, but there was also a lightness to her. Oliver wondered if it had anything to do with seeing Sara while they were in Starling.  He knew what being around someone you shared that kind of love with did to a person. It changed them literally from the inside out.

“Is everything in place?” Nyssa asked as Tommy headed up the steps to the plane.

“If you mean, will this plane take us to Japan? Then yes, everything is in place,” Tommy said, turning into the body of the plane and finding a seat.

Oliver followed behind, leaving Nyssa trailing them.  The captain stuck his head out of the cockpit and gave Tommy a nod.  He climbed out of the small compartment and stood to face them.

“Is this everyone, sir?”

Tommy nodded.  “It is. We’re ready whenever you are.”

“Right,” the captain said, closing the hatch door and sealing them in.  He returned to the cockpit as everyone else buckled into their seats.

Oliver cleared his throat.  “So I would have asked earlier, even though it wouldn’t have changed my answer about coming.  But does someone want to tell me exactly why we’re going to Japan?”

\---

Tommy explained to his friend what he knew about the Lazarus Pit, holding nothing back as he did. He had already told Oliver what the pit had done. How the blood lust had been thoroughly ingrained in him since he woke up in the foundry months ago, how Malcolm had become this marker for when it started to take over.

“The Crescent Order has been this fable in the League for years,” he said with a deep breath. “The only ones who ever held the power to destroy Ra’s’ operation. They have this… elixir or something called the Lotus. It’s supposed to counteract the effects of the pit, restore what the water took.”

Oliver had listened to him through his entire story. Tommy knew he had to come clean about everything, that his best friend would understand more than anyone the lives he had to take to control things. And Oliver had thankfully head back judgement through it all. Until that moment of course.

“So in order to fix your blood lust, after being practically resurrected by magical water, is an equally magical potion, from some boogeyman type group that the League fears?”

“Well when you put it like that it sounds a little nuts,” he joked.

“A little?” Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose. “There has to be something more grounded in reality that can help you. Literally anything else.”

“For someone who survived many tragedies in life,” Nyssa chimed in eyeing Oliver with contempt. “You would do well to be a little more open to things in this world.”

He glared at her, but focused back on Tommy. “We could have had Felicity researching something, got ARGUS to use their labs to find some kind of antidote. But this? Tommy you’re basing your future on a fairytale. And more importantly on her.”

“And what exactly is that supposed to mean?” Nyssa squared her shoulders, ready for a fight. And Tommy could not deal with that outcome.

“Hey, seriously both of you, cool it,” he stood between them, and looked to Nyssa. “Give us a minute. Please?”

“I will be more than glad when we finally depart each others company, Oliver Queen,” she hissed his name as she turned on her heel and headed to the back of the plane. 

Tommy turned around and groaned. “I need you to trust me right now.”

“I trust you,” he said. “I will always trust you. But you can’t ask me to trust her. Especially when you consider how many people got hurt because the League didn’t deem it necessary to act on Malcolm until it was too late.”

He nodded, because he could see the protector in Oliver shining through. But his friend also had some glaring blind spots too. “Do you blame Sara for that as well?”

“That’s not fair.”

“You’re right, it’s not. And neither is saddling Nyssa with the weight of that decision either,” Tommy huffed. “Look she’s not my favorite person in the world. But she saved my life, okay? And she owes me a debt because of it. She’s not leading us on a wild goose chase. I trust her enough to believe that.”

“Magical potions though?” he let out a frustrated laugh. “Is that what our lives have come to?”

“Honestly getting shot by my father, who wanted to destroy half the city, kind of trumps the magical elements of my resurrection for me,” he said with a smile. “Plus I’ve been doing some reading on lotus flowers. People see them as symbols for enlightenment, purity, personal growth.”

“We’re still talking magic though.”

“I mean water from an over glorified hot spring brought me back from the brink of death,” he said with a smile. “I’m not too picky on what helps it.”

Oliver sighed as he reclaimed his seat. But as he did, Tommy kept an eye on his best friend. Something had been off since the night he got back. And he needed to know where Ollie’s head was at before they got any further from home.

“You find your mystery guy before we left?” he asked taking the open seat next to Oliver. “With the picture?”

“No, it was another dead end,” Ollie pulled at the armrest and did his best not to look up. “It’s no big deal. I’ll refocus my efforts when we get back.”

“Then why do you look like you wish you could go all Bratva on the guy? You holding some deep seated grudge for dudes in masks I don’t know about?”

Oliver turned to face him, and Tommy could see how much he didn’t want to talk about this. But they had a decent flight length ahead of them, and he needed to know where Ollie’s head was at.

“Seriously what is it?”

“My past trying to haunt me,” Oliver said throwing his head back against the seat. “Or maybe I’m going crazy. Both are options.”

“I’m lost,” Tommy looked at his friend. “You think you know him?”

“I think… He reminds me of someone I used to know, from Lian Yu,” he relented, taking in a breath. 

“I’m assuming the past tense there wasn’t a formality?”

“He’s dead,” Oliver confirmed. “And logically I know that he’s dead. I was there. I made sure. But over the last few months Sara’s come back, and you… you got brought back by magic water.” he laughed to himself. “I can’t shake this feeling in my gut that everything is about to turn for the worst.”

“Ollie, listen to what you said,” he leaned over patting his friend on the arm. “Present company excluded, people don’t just come back from the dead.”

“There’s something else. He got injected with this stuff before everything went wrong. It changed him, in ways I didn’t know were possible. And whatever that stuff did to him, I don’t know if it could have--”

“You just said you two were friends.”

“Yeah a friend I put an arrow in, because his grief and anger over losing someone he loved, got twisted and turned dark. He blamed me for what happened. And if he’s somehow back? He’s gonna want revenge.”

“I don’t want to dismiss you here, but Oliver come on?  Maybe you’re worrying yourself for no reason.”

“Or maybe I have plenty of reasons, and I don’t want to look at them.”

“Are you telling me Felicity didn’t talk you out of this nonsense before you left?”

He remained quiet as he turned from Tommy. 

“You didn’t tell her.”

“I told her enough.”

“Ollie, are you kidding me? After everything you two have been through, you didn’t give Felicity all the details about what’s going on?”

“I said I told her enough.”

“Bullshit,” he said. “You know more than anyone how dangerous things can get when we leave each other in the dark.”

“You just said this is probably nothing.”

“Yeah, probably. Not 100% definitely,” he replied, trying to reign his voice in. “What are you gonna do when you have to tell her the rest of the story? You two are in a good place, I don’t want to see something like this tear you apart.” 

“It’s not going to,” Oliver sounded so certain. It was a new look on Ollie. “I will tell Felicity everything, once we unmask the masked man. But until then I asked her to keep a low profile and not do anything reckless while we’re out of town.”

“That sounds like something Felicity Smoak is liable to hold to for sure.”

“She knows how dangerous Deadshot is, and with the unknown variables she’s not gonna risk herself without backup.”

“I believe you,” he said then cleared his throat. “But I also believe sometimes Felicity doesn’t look for the risk until it's too late to pull back.”

“You’re not filling me with a whole lot of confidence about leaving home right now.”

“Right,” he said drumming his fingers against his leg. “Look we go to Japan, we get this stuff, we come home. No harm no foul. Felicity will be fine for a few days. And then we can charge forward and figure out why Deadshot is teaming up with a hacker and this mystery guy.”

Oliver watched him in a way that told Tommy his friend was about to ask him something. “I know you won’t want to hear this, but what happens if we can’t find this stuff, or worse we do and it doesn’t work?”

“I can’t afford to think like that Ollie,” he shrugged. “Without the Lotus I can’t stay in Starling. I can’t be around you or Felicity, or Thea. And I won’t bring this darkness home to Laurel. This is my one shot to fix all this.”

“Tommy I think you need to prepare yourself for the reality of what we’re walking into here.”

“I know you don’t believe in this stuff--”

“That’s not what I mean,” Ollie cut him off, then cleared his throat. “Say the Lotus is real, and it cures your bloodlust. It won’t erase what happened. It won’t take away the last two months. Those lives you had to take, I get why you had to do it, but once you’re cured. Their blood is still gonna be on your hands.”

“I know that.”

“Do you?” he challenged. “Or are you hoping this elixir is gonna take away the guilt I know you feel? Because Tommy it doesn’t work like that.”

He stayed silent, hoping that maybe Oliver wouldn’t press anymore. It’s not that he hadn’t thought about these things. It’s that once he started to think about them, they never seemed to quiet themselves. And Tommy was too tired for this.

_ He’s right you know. _ Malcolm’s voice echoed in his head, nearly strong enough to conjure a form right there.  _ And if you think I’ll be gone just because the blood lust is, you’re wrong. Because your first kill wasn’t in Nanda Parbat. And you know it. _

He shook his head, his fingers gripping into his calf as he tried to steady his breathing. He needed the Lotus. But what if Oliver and Malcolm were right? What if this didn’t rid Tommy of the one demon that followed him the most?

“Tommy?”

“I’m fine,” he said as he stood abruptly. “I’m gonna go lie down, try and catch some sleep.”

“Tommy look--”

“I said I was fine, Ollie,” he moved towards the other seats, flashing a grin. “Or I will be. Can we talk more when we land? I’m beat.”

Oliver looked like he wanted to say more, but instead he nodded. 

Tommy dropped to the other set of seats and closed his eyes. He knew he wouldn’t sleep, couldn’t sleep. But he hoped by some miracle, maybe he could push Malcolm away on his own. 

He had to believe that Malcolm was connected to effects of the pit. Because if he wasn’t, if he was just a byproduct of Tommy’s own guilt, how would he ever rid himself of that? 

\---

Felicity tried to get some more sleep after Oliver left, but she found herself unable to shut her brain back down.  After watching light slowly creep across the ceiling as the sun rose into the sky, she gave up. With a frustrated groan, she pushed the warm covers off herself and rose from the bed, stretching as she made her way to the bathroom.

Oliver had seemed certain that their trip would be a week or less, but Felicity had her doubts.  She knew how quickly trails could go cold and she didn’t want to give herself false hope that he and Tommy would be back in Starling so soon.  After all, how many cities had she and Tommy gone to in search of Oliver three years ago? And that was with decent intel on people to look up and leads to run down.

She quickly showered and dressed before peering out of the bedroom down the hall toward the living room.  The makeshift bed that Donna had set up was empty and Felicity was surprised to find no sign of her mother in the common areas of the apartment.

“Mom?” she called, making her way toward the kitchen.  No answer. Panic swelled in her gut, wondering what could have happened to her mother.

The sound of the lock on the front door turning quashed her inner hysteria and a second later, Donna’s blonde hair bounced into the space, a take-out bag and tray of coffees in one hand and keys in the other.

“Hey!” Donna smiled brightly.  “You’re up!”

Felicity nodded in reply.

“Hope I didn’t worry you.  You know how I can usually sleep anywhere?  Well for some reason I just couldn’t stay asleep on that couch of yours.  Not your fault, of course. But I figured since I was up, I might as well grab some coffee and breakfast for my girl.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Felicity said, offering her a smile.  

Donna handed her a coffee and set the bag of food on the counter.  “I got some bagels and pastries. Wasn’t sure what you were in the mood for.”

“A bagel sounds great.”  Felicity took a long sip of her coffee and sighed, letting it warm her from the inside out.  “I think I have some cream cheese in the fridge.”

They were quiet for a few moments while they both toasted, buttered, and cream cheesed their bagels.  Felicity almost laughed, noting that they prepared their food the exact same way. Like mother, like daughter.  Donna took a seat on a barstool and Felicity sat down beside her.

“So I know that you’re busy,” Donna began, taking a sip of what Felicity assumed was the chai tea latte her mother had started drinking when the fad made its rounds several years ago and never stopped.  “But do you think you’ll have time to grab lunch before my flight leaves this afternoon?”

“You’re leaving already?” Felicity asked, feeling a small pang of guilt over not spending more time with her mother the day before.

Donna shrugged.  “Didn’t want to intrude on your life for too long.”

“You’re not.”

“It’s okay, baby,” Donna said, a wistful smile on her face.  “I just needed to see you with my own eyes and make sure you were alright.  And seeing you and Oliver together,” she sighed. “Well let’s just say, I can go back to Vegas and know that you’re safe and cared for and happy.”

Felicity smiled back.  “I am. But that doesn’t mean you have to leave.”

“I have to get back to work anyway.” Her mother shrugged.  “But those planes work both ways, you know.” She nudged Felicity’s shoulder.  “It’s only an hour flight.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Felicity said, taking another bite of her bagel.  “I do have to go into work this morning. But I will definitely get away for lunch, and then I’ll take you to the airport.”

Donna nodded.  “I think I’ll stick around the apartment while you go to work.  Maybe take a bubble bath.”

Even though it was still early, Felicity was itching to get to the office and talk to Alena about the Myron operation from the night before.  And to see what the spyware had come up with. She finished her bagel and grabbed her coffee, moving for the door.

“I’ll be back in a few hours,” she said to her mother.  She pulled on her jacket and hoisted her purse up onto her shoulder.  “I have bath bombs under the sink. Use whatever you want.”

“Have a great day, sweetie!”

Felicity smiled, a feeling washing over her of being transported back to elementary school.  Her mother used to drive her to school every morning and would always call the same thing to her through the rolled-down window.

“Thanks, Mom!” she called back, and then headed out the door.

Even though she had texted Alena back the night before, the other girl had told Felicity that she’d tell her everything in person.  So Felicity’s eagerness to get to Helix may have caused her to drive a little faster than she otherwise would have. She got there in record time, parking and finding her way into the building and the bank of computers that she and Alena tended to congregate around.

To Felicity’s surprise, Alena was already there, typing away.  Felicity watched as the code filled the computer monitor. She didn’t want to interrupt, so she waited until Alena was finished.

Finally, the brunette spun to face her.  “Okay so I have good news, other good news, and not so good news.”

“Good news first,” Felicity said with a nod.

Alena took a breath.  “Good news is the spyware was successfully planted on Myron’s phone.  Bad news is, I don’t think he’s your guy. Nothing fishy on his phone so far.  No out of the ordinary phone numbers in his call logs or text messages. I also got into his financials and everything checks out.  He seems pretty harmless.”

Felicity narrowed her eyes a fraction.  “What about the other good news?”

A blush crept onto Alena’s face and she shrugged.  “I have a date with him next week?”

“Alena!” Felicity exclaimed.  “You said you weren’t going to approach him.”

“I didn’t.  He approached me.  What did you want me to do, just ignore him?”

Felicity blew out a breath.  “I suppose not. I just really thought he was our guy.  There is literally no one else in the world that would have access to that code.  Except for--”

“Except for…” Alena prompted.

“A ghost.  Literally.”  She cleared her throat.  “My ex-boyfriend died… he committed suicide five years ago.”

Alena’s eyes softened.  “I’m going to ask you something, and I don’t want you to freak out.”

Felicity nodded, but stayed quiet.  She worried her bottom lip between her teeth, unable to trust her voice in that moment.  She was usually so good at pushing Cooper from her mind, keeping all those feelings of loss buried inside her.  But thinking about him brought all the pain back to the surface. Her mind supplied the question a fraction of a second before Alena said it aloud.

“Did you ever see his body?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head.  “I left school, graduated early, got a job out here at Queen Consolidated.  I just needed out of Boston. I couldn’t stay there with--” She broke off. -- _ with the memories of him everywhere.   _ Was it possible the FBI had lied to her about Cooper?  The idea had never even crossed her mind before now. She’d taken his loss so hard, felt it so completely, that she couldn’t fathom it not being true.

“So is it possible that--”

“No,” Felicity said quickly.  It couldn't be. She couldn’t imagine a world in which Cooper Seldon survived and she didn’t know it.  “I need some air.”

Before Alena could reply, Felicity turned and headed for the front door.  The morning air was still cool and as she stood in the shade of the building, Felicity could feel goosebumps rise on her skin.  Myron had to be behind the hack that knocked her offline the other night. He had been part of their hactivist group too. He knew his way around a computer keyboard.

She knew that she’d promised Oliver that she would stay away from him, but Felicity needed answers.  She drove across town in a fog, parking outside the building for the accounting firm he worked for. It couldn’t be a coincidence that they’d both ended up in Starling City.  And it really couldn't be a coincidence that he was the only other person to know about that code.

“Myron Forest, please,” she told the receptionist at the front entrance.

“He’s finishing up in a meeting right now.  Would you like to wait--”

“In his office?  Yes I would. If you can point me in the direction.”

Felicity couldn’t even imagine what her face must look like.  Because the receptionist looked stricken as she wrote the office number on a Post-It note and handed it to Felicity.

“Thank you,” she said quickly, before finding his office number on the directory and moving through the building.

She spotted him coming out of a conference room as she made her way through the corridor.  He didn’t stop as he passed the office number that the receptionist had given her, so Felicity followed him further into the building.

He ducked into a small kitchenette and Felicity did as well, closing and locking the door behind her.  Thankfully there was no one else in the room.

“Myron,” she said.

He was bent over the fridge, looking for something, and paused as if he were trying to place her voice.

“Felicity?” he said, turning and offering her a smile.  “Hey. How are you?”

She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.  She was not in the mood to play games. Even if she didn’t have Oliver or Diggle or Sara there to back her up, she didn’t think he’d be stupid enough to risk trying something in a huge office full of people.

“I know what you’ve been up to,” she said dryly.

Myron’s brow furrowed in response.  “Nice to see you too?” He paused. “Wait, how did you know I was here?”

“How do you think?”  She hated when people tried to play dumb.

“Are you still hacking?” he asked, with a laugh.  “I thought maybe you gave that up when you de-gothed yourself after Cooper--”

“I’m not here to talk about him,” she said, another agonizing pain tearing through her heart.  She took another step closer. “Tell me who you’re working for.”

Myron frowned.  “Preston and Logan Financial,” he said, pointing to the name on the mug beside him.  “I gave up all that other stuff years ago.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Myron poured himself a cup of coffee and then added some creamer.  He studied her for a long moment and Felicity found herself shifting uncomfortably on her feet.

“Listen, Felicity.  I don’t know what all you’re mixed up in.  But I make good money here. It’s honest work and I was able to pay back my student loans in 2 years after MIT.  You know how rare it is to be able to say that.” He paused. “I gave up all those wide-eyed fantasies of a better world years ago.”

She cleared her throat, and lowered her voice.  “What about Cooper?” she asked, and she couldn’t imagine how disturbed she must sound.  “Did you go to his funeral?”

Myron shook his head.  “From what I heard, his parents had the funeral for him back in Iowa.  My poor college-student ass couldn’t afford a plane ticket, even if I had wanted to go.”

Felicity chewed on that for a moment.  “Did you ever share that code with anyone?”

“No,” Myron laughed.  “People thought I was nerdy enough without telling them I knew how to hack into online databases and whatever.  I know you and Cooper had each other, but you don’t know how rare it is for someone to actually appreciate what goes into coding.”

“So you gave it up, moved to Starling where I just so happened to come after MIT to work for some no name accounting firm?”

“I literally had no idea you were in Starling until you walked in here two minutes ago.”  He paused. “Do you want to tell me what this is about?”

Felicity blew out a frustrated breath.  “Someone used my code. Here in the city, two nights ago.  So you can see why I assumed it would be you.”

“How do you know it was yours?”

“Please,” Felicity snorted.  “No one codes like I do. Besides, it was identical to the one we used on the Department of Education hack.”

Myron shrugged.  “I wish I had something for you to go on.”

She still wasn’t sure he was telling the truth.  Felicity had met plenty of people over the years that looked innocent that were anything but.  And if Myron was involved, she hoped that her confrontation would be enough for him to contact whoever he was working with.

“What are you going to do?” he asked.

Felicity moved for the door, unlocking it and pulling it open halfway.  “I’m going to find the son-of-a-bitch that stole my code. And I’m going to make them pay.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone,
> 
> It's been a rough week, some tears from me and emotional highs, but that's not important. What's important is why you're all here: THE UPDATE. But seriously, I adore this chapter because it T's us up for some cool arcs going forward, so I won't keep you from that long. I just wanted to say once again, thank to all the readers. I love you guys.
> 
> always,  
> Kayla

He wanted to keep an eye on Tommy through the flight, in case his friend came to his senses and decided to talk. Plus Oliver didn’t trust Nyssa al Ghul enough to fall asleep when she was around. So instead he sat awake through the flight, watching Tommy every few minutes, but mostly going over a business plan Thea had drawn up for the club.

He didn’t know exactly when or how his little sister had become so good at business. But Oliver would forever be grateful that he and Tommy had hired her. She really thrived under the pressures Verdant had put on her. 

She wanted to start implementing DJ showcases, get some PR going, maybe bringing more credibility to Verdant’s standing in Starling. Oliver knew he had started the club as a cover for the job he really had in the night, and Tommy had signed on to keep ARGUS a secret for as long as possible, but their sister had the potential to make it something great. And he knew she would.

When the captain came over the PA, talking about their descent, Tommy stirred. His bleary eyes found Oliver and he groaned. 

“Please tell me you didn’t bring business on this trip?”

“I told Thea I’d look over her proposal this week,” he replied, but he took the file and placed it back in his bag. “She’s got some good ideas for the club. Not sure where the business gene came from. Clearly it skipped me on the way down the family tree.”

But then it struck him again that maybe Thea hadn’t gotten it from the side they shared, maybe she had gotten it from Malcolm.

Tommy picked up on his mood shift and shook his head. “She’s just smarter than us, Ollie. Doesn’t mean it came from him.”

He nodded, his mind flashing to earlier in the week. “Speaking of Malcolm, look--”

“I told you earlier, I’m good. Can we not press repeat on that conversation?”

“I was actually going to tell you something else,” he took a breath. Maybe it was better to wait until they made it back to Starling. Back home. But he had already opened his mouth. 

“What’s up?”

“My mother came to see me a few days ago,” he started, before he could think of a way to back out. “About Merlyn Global.”

Tommy barked out a laugh, shaking his head. “Why? Does QC want to acquire it? Because honestly they can have it. Lord knows I don’t want it.”

“She said Malcolm only left you 30% of the company,” he replied. “Half of the shares he had left.”

“I guess dear old Dad didn’t want me to have too much control.”

“He left the other 30% to Thea.”

Tommy didn’t seem surprised by his words, he just shook his head. “He had a strange way of showing his cared. Give me 30% of a company I didn’t give a damn about, and the other to a daughter he didn’t even raise. To what end? What could he possibly get out of this? Control our lives from beyond the grave? Because he’s already doing a damn good job of that.”

He saw how shaken Tommy was getting, saw the way he gripped the seat like the only link to reality. He couldn’t stand it. “Who the hell cares? I mean really. Who cares what Malcolm wanted? He was an arrogant, judgemental, psychopath. Who wanted nothing more than to see this world burn. What do you want Tommy?”

“I…”

He felt the plane begin to land, and he wanted to leave this conversation here, so Tommy could focus on himself, on getting to a place where he was okay. 

“Don’t decide right now,” he said once they came to a stop. Standing from his seat. “Take your time, because it’s important. But remember something. Just because Malcolm wanted you two to have it, doesn’t mean you have to do what he would have done with it.”

Tommy looked like he wanted to respond. But Nyssa had moved from her spot near the back of the plane. 

She eyed both of them closely before she spoke. “I do not wish to remain in this tin can much longer. Shall we depart?”

Tommy scoffed. “This is a private jet.”

“That does not make it any less of an air prison if you ask me. I prefer to be on the ground or at the very least flying my own death trap.”

“Poetic,” Tommy returned as he stood. “I guess we should go get us a hotel.”

“With separate accommodations,” she added, giving him a look. 

But Oliver just rolled his eyes. “Trust me I’ll sleep better with a wall between us, or five.”

“I am flattered by your fear.”

“It’s not fear, it’s caution.”

They departed from the airstrip. But moving further into an unknown city did nothing but set Oliver on edge the entire way. 

He couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes watching them, trailing their every move as Tommy tried to find them a hotel. Every corner they took, every new street, the feeling wrapped more tightly around him. 

“Perhaps something a little less conspicuous,” Nyssa said as Tommy stopped in front of a lavish hotel. “Unless you’d like to announce to the world you’re in town?”

“Maybe I do,” he quipped, giving her a smirk.

“Insufferable.”

Oliver tried to tune them out, tried to focus his senses to their surroundings. But it had been a long time since he’d been in such a densely populated, foreign place. He couldn’t seem to get his bearings.

“Guys, shut up,” he said, and it earned him confusion from Tommy and seething rage from Nyssa.

“You dare--”

“We’re being followed,” he hissed pulling them both away from the crowded sidewalk and into an alcove. “So yes, I told you to shut up.”

Tommy looked around them as discreetly as he could, and Oliver wondered if he was cursing himself for not noticing the shift as well. 

Nyssa rolled her eyes. “Yes I know. He has been on our tail for the last several blocks.”

“You didn’t think to say anything?” he asked. “What if he’s a spy sent by your father?”

“I would not be so careless had he been a League member,” she countered with as much ferocity as the close space would allow. “The man does not appear to be a threat, so I was assessing the situation before I made a move. Would you rather I rush across to the other alley and ambush him? Because that seems like a terrible solution to me.”

“Guys,” Tommy stepped between them. “Why don’t we think of a way to figure out why he’s following us, instead of arguing on the street about it?”

“Tommy’s right,” he said then glanced across the street. He could just barely make out the silhouette in the recesses of the alleyway. Whoever it was, if they had been tailing them as a threat, he would have fled by then. But he stood where he was, watching the three of them. 

“You two stay here, I’ll go fetch him.”

“That’s a terrible idea,” he said, as he moved past both of them. Nyssa would spook him, whoever he was. And Tommy looked like he was itching for a fight. Oliver was the only level headed person in the group. “I’ll go. Give me five minutes. If I’m not back by then, you can pull out your assassin training.”

He didn’t wait for them to agree, crossing the street as fast as he could before their visitor could decide to leave.

But he didn’t leave. His shape stayed shadowed in the alley the closer Oliver came. And he had to wonder if maybe this guy was expecting Oliver. 

But it didn’t matter his reasons. If he was waiting for him or not, the second Oliver got close enough he reached out, grabbed for the man’s shirt, and threw him against the opposite wall. “Why are you following us?”

Oliver waited for the man to respond. But as the light hit his face, Oliver’s grip slipped. 

“Maseo?” His friend stood before him, shrouded in layers with a hat pulled low over his eyes, but still the same man underneath. Oliver let out a shaky breath as he took a step back. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same question,” he replied straightening his shirt. 

“How did you know we were here?”

Maseo looked around them before he spoke. “When an agency like ARGUS threatens your family more than once, you do well to keep an eye on certain passports in and out of your location. I thought… I thought Waller might be setting a trap.”

He nodded running a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think… I should have called, let you know we had to come this way.”

“I’m sorry that I followed you,” he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I just… I had to make sure.”

“I understand, Maseo. You don’t need to explain it to me.”

His old friend relaxed. Oliver could see that even though his vigilance had not waivered over the years, the time spent in peace with his family had done a world of good for him.

“What are you doing here?” Maseo asked. “I take it you and your friend didn’t bring an assassin to Japan on holiday?”

“We’re searching for something,” Oliver replied. “Apparently this is the only place we can find it.”

“Perhaps I can help.”

“I don’t want to drag you into this Maseo,” he shook his head. “Trust me, you don’t want to get involved in this either. It’s myths and fairytales anyway.”

“Well,” he said as he smiled. “Tatsu would be furious if she knew you were here and didn’t come see her. You and your friends will come stay with us.”

“We can’t impose--”

“Oliver,” he cut him off. “You saved my son’s life, saved my family. I will not take no for an answer.”

He didn’t like the idea of letting Nyssa anywhere near his friends. But it would be easier to keep a low profile searching for the Crescent Order and the Lotus if they weren’t so exposed. Plus his heart kind of ached at the idea of seeing Akio again. He wondered so often over the last few years just how much his small friend had grown. He wondered what he was like now.

Oliver cleared his throat and sighed. “Okay. Let me grab Tommy and… our companion. Thank you, Maseo.”

\---

“Was he really necessary to bring on this journey?” Nyssa asked, her focus in Oliver’s direction across the street.

Tommy narrowed his eyes at her.  “Oliver’s my best friend. And he’s one of the most deadly, highly trained people I know.  He has the same training as I do through ARGUS, and more with the Russian mob. And he’s one of the only people in the world I’d trust with my life.”  He paused. “So yes, it was necessary to bring him.”

They both watched on as Oliver confronted the person in the alley across the street who had been following them.  And then something odd happened; Oliver’s stance changed from aggressive to open and almost friendly. Was it possible that Oliver knew the person that had been following them?  Tommy couldn’t think of who his friend might know in Japan. At least, not anyone that would know exactly when they’d entered the country and had the resources to track them down.

A moment later Oliver was crossing back across the street.  “I’ve got a place for us to stay,” he said with a smile.

Nyssa looked less than thrilled, but didn’t utter a word.

“You have a lot of friends in Japan, Ollie?” Tommy asked.

Oliver shrugged.  “Just a few. But you know him too.”

This caught Tommy off guard.  It was a short list of international people that they both knew, and most were comprised of people Tommy had met trying to track Oliver down a few years ago.  And then it dawned on him. He  _ did _ know someone in Japan, even though they’d met in Hong Kong.

“Maseo?” Tommy questioned.

“Maseo,” Oliver confirmed.  “He and his family are going to put us up while we’re here.  They’re insisting on it, in fact.”

Tommy’s eyes went to Nyssa, who looked like she wanted to argue, but she ultimately stayed silent.  It was unlike her not to voice her opinions, but perhaps she thought she’d be out-voted. Grudgingly, she fell into step behind Oliver as he crossed back to the other side of the street where Maseo waited for them in the alley.

“Tommy,” Maseo said with a smile.  “It is good to see you again.”

“You as well,” Tommy nodded.  “Thank you for your hospitality.  Are you sure it won’t be an imposition?”

“Nonsense.  You two helped put my family back together at a time where Tatsu and I never thought it possible.  You will always be welcome under our roof.” He paused. “And Oliver, Akio will be so excited to see you.”

A look crossed Oliver’s face as Tommy studied his friend.  One of nostalgia and fondness and something else Tommy couldn’t quite place.  Protectiveness, perhaps.

“I’m looking forward to seeing him as well,” Oliver answered.

The three of them followed Maseo through back alleys for several moments, weaving their way through the city until finally they stopped beside a sleek black sedan with tinted windows.  Maseo pulled a keyfob from his pocket and unlocked the car.

“We live outside the city.  We grew tired of the crowded streets.  Besides, easier to disappear into the mountains and valleys here.  And with ARGUS, one can never be too careful.” Maseo climbed into the driver’s seat and Oliver and Tommy rounded the car.  

Clearly Maseo wasn’t aware that Tommy technically worked for ARGUS.  Which was probably for the best. He wasn’t in Japan for ARGUS anyway.  Tommy took the back seat and Nyssa got in beside him. He could see the tension in her movements, and he knew how she hated to be out of control of situations.  But this was Maseo. Oliver had worked at ARGUS with him for months after the island, and Tommy had met him when he’d been searching for Oliver in China. Tommy trusted the man enough to let him help; he just hoped that Nyssa could trust that for now.

“So, what are the myths and fairy tales you’re looking for here?” Maseo asked, as he pulled into traffic and made his way out of the city.

The road they were on meandered and gradually became a single lane the further they got out of the sprawling metropolis.

“You wouldn’t believe us if we told you,” Tommy said, not confident in giving out too much information about what they were looking for.  He might trust Maseo enough to stay with him. But Tommy didn't know much about the man beyond the fact that he used to work for ARGUS and that Oliver cared for his son in Russia.  Besides, this story was too complicated to explain even if he’d wanted to.

“I have seen my share of unbelievable in this world,” Maseo said knowingly.  “But whatever you’re looking for, be cautious. There are many dangers that lurk in the dark and unknown of this world.”

Tommy wished the man’s caution was unwarranted.  But he had also seen firsthand the dangerous and unexplainable things that were real.  And the bloodlust that coursed through his veins was enough to take Maseo’s words to heart.  He wondered, not for the first time, if perhaps he should have stayed in the city, met back up with the group later.  He would need to sate that bloodlust again, and soon.

And as if he had given it too much attention, the sensation began to crawl through him. His head swam with snapshots of death, and Malcolm’s voice whispered in his ear over and over again that he needed to watch the life drain from the eyes of someone.   _ It could be him _ , Malcolm laughed.   _ Tonight while he’s lying in bed beside his wife.  How easy would that be? _

Tommy swallowed hard, pushing the thoughts from his mind.  His hands clenched in his lap and in his peripheral vision he saw Nyssa looking his way.

“We have waited too long as it is,” she whispered.  “It must be tonight.”

He nodded and then stretched the tension from his neck.

“Everything okay?” Oliver asked, pulling down the visor mirror to meet Tommy’s eyes.

“As good as they can be,” he answered through gritted teeth.  “Nyssa and I may need to take a walk once we reach Maseo’s house.”

Tommy’s vision went into hyperfocus as he swallowed down the bloodlust.  He watched as Maseo’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, could almost hear his pulse ringing through the car. Maeso knew something was wrong if the look he shot Tommy in the mirror was any indication.

“Are you sure?” Oliver asked.

But Tommy ignored him as he pulled his phone out to type. It was a good distraction, something to keep his mind focused on anything but the growing need. He scrolled through the searches until he landed on what he was looking for. “GPS shows a prison two miles from here,” Tommy whispered to Nyssa, showing her his phone.  “You know my stipulations.”

“Stop the car,” Nyssa said to Maseo.  “Oliver, send us the address for our accommodations.  We will meet you there.”

“What are you talking about?” Oliver turned, and the second their eyes locked he knew his friend understood. “Maeso, pull over. Please?”

In the rearview mirror, Maseo’s face was confused and wary, but he did as they said.  He pulled to the side of the road and stopped the car.

“There’s no address,” Maseo said.  “But we will send you GPS coordinates.”

Nyssa nodded, and she stepped out of the car, pulling Tommy along with her.  He hated this. Everything about it. He hated how off-kilter it left him feeling, how out of control it made him.  The bloodlust was an angry beast that lived with him inside his own skin and Tommy couldn’t wait to rid himself of it.

“There are simpler methods to sate the bloodlust,” Nyssa said, glancing at the prison coordinates on the screen of his phone.

“No,” Tommy growled, pulling her forward as they stepped off the road and into the dense tree line.  “I would rather--”

“You would sacrifice yourself,” Nyssa confirmed dryly.  “How noble.”

They moved through the trees in the darkness easily.  Tommy was sure that there was something in Nyssa’s training that had developed her ability to see through almost total darkness in a way that he couldn’t, so he relied on her to lead them back the way they came, toward the outskirts of the city.

“We should have done this before we left Starling,” Tommy said as they approached the prison.

“You would not want ghosts in the city of the woman you love.”

He had to agree with her there.  He’d always have at least one ghost haunting him in Starling.  His own father. It would almost be humorous that his father was more of a companion to him in death than he was in life, if it weren’t so damn depressing and messed up.  On the plane, Oliver had already voiced the concerns that had rooted themselves deep inside him. That even if they found the lotus and cured his bloodlust, that Malcolm wasn’t going anywhere.  That the ghosts of all the lives he’d already taken would stay with him. That the guilt he felt would catch up to him, overwhelm him, overtake him.

Tommy had spent so much time trying to get back to ‘normal’ that he couldn't even imagine what it would look like when he did.  Him and Laurel on good terms, living together, planning a future. But beyond that? Did he want to continue his work for ARGUS?  Do something with his shares in Merlyn Global? Prove wrong all the naysayers in Starling who thought that nothing good could come from the Merlyn name?  He wasn’t sure of anything beyond Laurel. She was his guidepost, the one and only thing he knew for sure that he wanted, needed in his life.

“What’s the plan?” Tommy asked.

“Stay here,” Nyssa said.  

They were approaching the fence of the prison and Tommy’s vision blurred red with anger.  The bloodlust sang through his veins and not even the tricks that Ra’s had taught him were enough to calm the fire raging inside him.

“Hurry,” he pleaded, doubling over onto the ground, barely able to keep himself from lashing out at the only person around.  Nyssa. He pulled his eyes from her, forcing a long breath of cold air into his lungs.

“I will return,” she said, and then disappeared over the fence, into the dark.

\---

Felicity had tried not to seem distracted at lunch with her mother. She listened as Donna told her all about her job, and the girls back home, how Tammi Jenkins from her third grade class got married and was expecting twins. But she couldn’t get Myron and the code out of her mind. 

Who could have gotten access to it, had it not been Myron? ARGUS? But that seemed unlikely. The FBI? More unlikely. And it couldn’t have been Cooper. Unless the dead where hacking into Starling’s grid. And while she’d suspend her beliefs for whatever had brought Tommy back, she was drawing a line at zombie ex boyfriends. She had to have her limits.

So when she pulled up to the airport, realizing her time with her mom had officially come to an end, she couldn’t help feeling remorse. She should have pushed her problems aside and focused during lunch more. It’s not like the code of the hacker were going anywhere. Unlike her mom.

“Will you promise me something baby?” Donna asked as Felicity helped her get her suitcase out of the car.

Felicity barely held back her chuckle. She was not doing well in the promises department. What was it, a good twelve hours before she bent the one Oliver had held her to? In her defense she went after Myron, who until proven otherwise was not in fact her hacker. 

“I can try,” she said taking a breath.

“Whatever’s got your brow so furrowed, maybe take a step back from it,” she said as she smoothed down Felicity’s flyaways. 

“Mom I’m fine. I just--”

“Your father used to get that same determined look on his face when he had a problem he couldn’t solve,” she rushed on. Felicity didn’t even object to the interruption, mostly because Donna never seemed to want to bring up her father. She never mentioned his name, she never brought up the day he left them both. 

“He did?”

Donna nodded with a sad smile. “He would get so wrapped up in a code or whatever that he’d run himself in circles. And I always said, ‘Noah, take a step back, come at it fresh in the morning.’ Of course he’d go on about how time sensitive it was. But eventually he would cave and listen to me. And every single time, he solved his problem.”

She pulled Donna into a tight hug. “I love you, Mom.”

“I’ll miss you,” she pulled back with a smile. “I’d tell you to take care of yourself, but you never really needed me to remind you of that.”

“Maybe not, but it’s nice to hear it,” she returned the smile. “Have a safe flight. Call me when you get home, okay?”

“I will. Bye sweetheart,” she grabbed her bag and headed towards the airport. 

Felicity waited and watched as Donna retreated from her. She didn’t want to leave until she could no longer see her mom through the doors. She took a breath, moving to get into her car just as her phone rang.

She pulled it out, expecting Oliver, but instead a different Queen flashed across her screen.

“Hi, Thea,” she said as she hit her hands free, and pulled out of the parking space. “How can I help you?”

“I was wondering if Donna wanted to go clubbing with me?” she asked in a teasing tone. 

“Well since she’s currently on a flight back to Vegas, I’m thinking no.”

“That’s a shame,” she sighed. “Guess that means you have to come keep me and Sara company at Verdant.”

“Thea, I’m tired, it’s been a long, dead end kind of day, and I just want--”

“No,” Thea cut her off. “See Laurel already bailed on us because she has and I quote ‘a massive case’ to prepare for. You on the other hand can take the night off and come have fun with us.”

She thought about her mother’s words, taking a step back from her problem, and coming at it fresh in the morning. It wasn’t the worst idea ever. And it’s not like she had a million leads to go on. So why not? Why not go and have some fun? It’s not like she wouldn’t have the same problems come daylight. 

“Okay, I’ll be there soon,” Felicity said as she let things shake from her mind. “No drinking, Thea.”

“Oh, no see I have a way better high planned for us. Trust me.”

It took Felicity fifteen minutes to cross the city and get to Verdant. Being a Wednesday, and well five pm, there weren’t any actual club goers there. And it took Felicity a few minutes wandering around the first floor, before she realized  _ where _ her friends were.

She descended the stairs, to the sound of punches against the training dummies. Sara and Thea turned towards her with matching grins.

“You know, you could have said ‘Foundry’ instead of ‘Verdant’,” Felicity noted, with a wink. “Could have saved me shouting your name into the empty void of upstairs.”

“I assumed the words were synonymous for you,” Thea teased. “Besides we can’t work up a sweat upstairs. I mean we could. But the DJ would have to be here. So until the dancing, we’re gonna be punching.”

“Ooh, no hard pass,” Felicity leaned against her desk, letting her back drop to the floor. “See these shoes were not made for hand to hand combat training. I’ll watch you two.”

“Come on Felicity,” Sara came over nudging her shoulder. “Think of how happy Ollie would be if he came home and you were down here  _ training _ .”

“You made this gross,” Thea grimaced, as she shook her head. “But seriously. You’re a badass, Felicity Smoak, don’t you think it’s about time you have a little brawn to backup all that brain of yours?”

“Is your plan to just get Sara to train everyone before Oliver agrees to letting you go out in the field?”

“No,” she pointed with a smirk. “But it is to make sure you can throw a punch. Just in case.”

“You two aren’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer, are you?”

Sara grabbed for a bag sitting on the workbench, and handed it to her. “Thea made sure to get your sizes right.”

“I hate both of you,” she said taking the bag and heading towards the bathroom, only hearing a chorus of laughter as she did.

“Have Ollie or Tommy checked in?” Thea asked through the door. And even if she couldn’t see her, Felicity could hear the worry in her voice. 

“Not yet,” she replied clearing her throat. “But I know they will soon. They’re watching each other’s back, Thea. You don’t have to worry.”

She finished dressing and peaked her head out. 

“Are you ready to have some fun?” Thea asked.

“If you screw up my hands so I can’t type I will never forgive you,” she challenged as they moved to the training mats. 

Sara waited for them, a smile on her face. “Alright. You ready?”

“Not in the slightest,” Felicity replied with a grin. “I’m really more of a behind the scenes kind of gal.”

“Felicity,” Sara moved behind her, kicking Felicity’s stance apart until she deemed it correct. “Remember to plant your feet.  A stronger foundation equals a stronger punch.”

“Unless your attacker is twice your size right?” she quipped. “I doubt I could take down Digg.”

“Well I’m pretty small and I could take him down.” She noticed the smile on Sara’s face. Clearly the former assassin took some pride in her abilities. “Now punch. But remember, keep your wrist straight, otherwise you’ll feel it for days.”

Felicity let the punch fly, and as she did she noticed the way the dummy shook as her fist landed against it. She had to admit, she didn’t hate it.

Sara nodded in approval. “Again.”

Felicity traded her fists back and forth, letting the frustration of the last few days flow through her hands. She hadn’t realized how annoyed at the hacker she had truly gotten, until she let all of it flow through her punches. 

“This is actually kind of fun,” she said, as Sara showed her the right way to kick at the training dummy’s side. 

Thea just laughed as they traded out who would go next. It had to have been at least half an hour of the same thing over and over again. But Felicity didn’t mind at all.

She found herself getting lost in the sensation of doing something else with her hands, of learning how to protect herself if the need arose. 

But getting lost led to consequences. Had she been focusing, she would have heard the alert start it’s slow beep at her computer. Had she been behind her computer, she could have stopped the thing that happened next. 

But instead Sara, Thea, and Felicity had been so wrapped up in training, that they were too late when Roy Harper came crashing in the back entrance to the Foundry.

She and Thea froze as Roy looked around the basement. Sara, on the other hand, had grabbed for her staff that laid nearby. 

His gaze finally landed on Thea and he looked so shocked and confused Felicity could help but feel bad for him.

“Roy,” Thea sounded furious. “I told you to leave this alone.”

He looked between the three of them, and then to the Arrow suit, in it’s nice glass case. “Thea, what’s going on here?”

Felicity let out a shaky breath, happy just a little bit that Oliver was an ocean away. Because he would  _ not _ be happy with this development, at all.

“Maybe you should sit down,” Felicity suggested. Suddenly, she knew it would be a long night.

\---


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies! Welcome back again! Whew... Maseo.... am I right?! I know, I know... we just love keeping you all on your toes. We hope you LOVE what's up next, so let's get right to it.

 

Once Tommy and Nyssa were out of the car, Maseo sped off into the dark, not even giving Oliver time to consider getting out with them.  Maseo was quiet for several moments as they continued the winding path up through the hills outside the city.

“If you’ve got something to say,” Oliver prompted, after another tense moment.  “Probably best that we do it before we reach your house.”

He had a feeling he knew what was coming.  How could Maseo not say something after the odd exchange they’d just had, letting Nyssa and Tommy out on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere in a country neither of them were familiar with.  Oliver himself still felt unsettled with the whole thing, so he couldn’t blame Maseo for feeling that way as well.

Maseo glanced over at him, sighed, and then answered.  “After everything we’ve been through, you know I’m not one to judge.”

“But…” Oliver said, knowing it was coming.

“But what are you mixed up in, Oliver?”

Oliver blew out a long breath, considering the question.  How would he even attempt to explain this to his old comrade?  The car slowed and they turned onto a long, winding driveway. Darkness had settled around them, but now the small path was lit only by the headlights of the car, dense trees lining them on either side.  It was no surprise to him that Maseo and his family were off the grid completely, and he understood now about them disappearing into the hills outside the city. He wouldn't be surprised if there was a perimeter set up around their house with motion sensors in case anyone or anything got too close.

“That woman,” Maseo pressed on.  “She looked like…” he shook his head.  

Could he know, somehow?  Oliver couldn’t imagine Maseo ever coming into contact with the League, but he wouldn’t have suspected it of Sara either.  Who knew why the League recruited the people they did. Besides, with the skills that the League members possessed, it would make sense that Waller would at least be aware of their group.  And Maseo worked for ARGUS longer than he had.

“She’s dangerous,” Oliver said finally, unsure how else to word it.  “But she’s the best chance we’ve got at finding a cure for Tommy.”

“You could have told me this before I invited you into my home,” Maseo said, an edge to his voice that hadn’t been there earlier.  “Akio and--”

“She won’t harm you or your family.”  Oliver scratched at the stubble forming on his chin.  He was exhausted and was looking forward to sleeping in a house where he had more allies than enemies.  A hotel might not have been as forgiving. “She’s here to help Tommy, to repay a debt. She’s not a friend, but she is an ally.”

Maseo nodded in understanding.  “I trust you,” he said, pulling up to the house and stopping the car.  Between the two of them, they retrieved all of their bags from Maseo’s car and moved toward the door.  “I did not tell them about my suspicions that you were in the country. Your visit will be a complete surprise to my family.”

Oliver smiled a little in response.  He motioned for Maseo to continue and followed behind as the man opened the door and stepped inside.  The smell of Tatsu’s Bamboo and Pork soup assaulted his nose and immediately it was like stepping back in time.  Back to four years ago in China when Oliver had lived with Tatsu and Maseo and eleven year old Akio. Back before Russia and the Bratva and his life got infinitely more complicated.  And infinitely better. Because that was back before Felicity. Before he’d come home and reconnected with Thea and his mother and Tommy.

Tatsu called a greeting to Maseo in Chinese, something that Oliver recognized but couldn’t quite remember the meaning of.  A term of endearment, he thought.  

“I have a surprise for dinner,” Maseo called back.

At this, she peeked her head around the corner.  Her brow furrowed for the briefest moment before realization struck her.  “Oliver?”

He smiled brightly at her.  “Hi Tatsu.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Oliver is travelling with some companions,” Maseo said.  “I had his passport flagged for any travel in the region and when I saw it show up today, I wanted to investigate.  I didn’t think he would come so close without letting us know.”

“It was last minute,” Oliver explained.

Tatsu dropped the spoon she was stirring with on the stove and rushed toward him, pulling Oliver into a fierce hug.  “But where are your friends?”

Oliver stiffened involuntarily.  “They’ll be along shortly.” He cleared his throat.  “They had some business to attend to first.”

“Oh, Oliver.  Akio will be so excited to see you.”  She beamed. “And just wait until you see him!  Almost as tall as you, and his skills with--”

“Tsst,” Maseo cut her off.  “Let the boy show him, himself.”

“I can’t wait,” Oliver said, feeling a bit of the weight release from his shoulders.  He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t thought earlier to look up the Yamashiros while he was in Japan, but he was beyond glad that they’d found him.

“He is finishing up some errands but should be back shortly,” Tatsu explained, turning and heading back toward the small kitchen.  “Will your friends be here in time for dinner? I have plenty for everyone.”

Oliver’s stomach turned at the thought of what Tommy and Nyssa were up to just then.  He thought he’d heard Tommy mention something about a prison, and although he understood Tommy’s need to do something about the bloodlust, it made him all the more eager to figure out if the lotus was real and get his friend cured.

“I’m not sure,” he answered and then plastered another winning smile on his face.  “What is new in the world of the Yamashiros?” He took his shoes off and then moved further into the house, finding the kitchen and leaning against a cabinet as he spoke to Tatsu.

“We are just enjoying being a quiet, normal family,” she explained.  “It is very different than the life we had in Hong Kong. But the fact that we are together, because of you and your friends, makes everything worth it.”

“And what about you, Oliver?” Maseo asked.

He shrugged in reply.  “I am back at home, attempting to right the wrongs done to my city.”

Tatsu smiled.  “We have heard some of your adventures from Akio.”

“Oh?” Oliver asked, a brow ticking up in surprise.  “He’s been keeping an eye on me, has he?”

“Well other than Maseo coming to help you in Russia earlier this year, we had heard of your return to Starling,” she explained.  “It made headlines worldwide. And Akio looked you up. He saw the news of the vigilante, and he recognized your bow.”

“Guess that secret’s out,” Oliver said with a smile.  “I have to say I didn’t expect the news of me being alive to make national news, let alone international.”

“With all of the tragedy in this world,” Tatsu said knowingly.  “Sometimes stories of triumph are needed to keep humanity going.”

That he could understand.  He and the Yamashiros had all had more than their share of tragedy, but hearing about people making a difference, something he was trying to do himself in Starling as the Arrow, well, he knew what that could do to bolster communities.

The three fell into a comfortable silence as Tatsu continued to work on dinner.  After a moment Maseo excused himself and made his way down the hall. Oliver retrieved his cell phone and made note of the coordinates of the house, sending Tommy a quick message with them, so they could meet him at the house.  He almost asked how things were going, but wasn’t sure Tommy would be comfortable sharing that, despite having told him as much as he had on the plane. So he let it go instead.

A moment later, the front door opened and closed and a voice called out a hello from the hallway.

Tatsu answered, and then switched to English.  “We have a friend, Akio.”

Oliver felt a smile creep onto his face.  Footsteps sounded through the space, and then a boy appeared.  No, not a boy. A teenager, almost a man. But this couldn’t possibly be Akio.  He was too tall, and all of the baby fat of the boy that Oliver remembered was gone.  There was something in his face though, in the brightness of his smile, the sparkle in his eye.  It  _ was _ Akio.  Almost completely fully grown.  And it nearly took the breath from Oliver’s lungs.

“Oliver?” the boy let out a surprised laugh.  And then rushed to him, pulling Oliver into a quick hug, before releasing him.  “What are you-- How are you-- You’re here?”

“You’re so tall,” Oliver said, looking him over.

Akio laughed.  “And you’re in my kitchen!”

Oliver nodded.  “I’m here with some friends.  They’re out, but they’ll be here soon.  Apparently your father had my passport on alert.”  He paused. “But I hear spying on me runs in your family.”

Akio blushed a little at that.  “You took care of me for a long time,” he said quietly.  “I just wanted to check on you. To make sure you were alright.”  And then he brightened, smiling widely. “Do you want to see where the magic happens?”

“You sound like Felicity,” Oliver said.

“Oh just wait,” Maseo piped in as he briefly appeared in the doorway.

But Akio didn’t leave Oliver time to consider that, as he turned and headed down the hall.  “Come on, Oliver!” he called over his shoulder.

Oliver did as instructed and followed the boy down the long, narrow hall.  At the end stood a door with a keypad beside it. Akio punched in the code and as the door clicked open, he pushed inside.  Oliver stepped forward, but paused in the doorway, unable to believe his eyes. Akio stepped further in, taking a seat at the only chair in the small room.

Three of the four walls were covered in computer monitors; four high and five across, each of them displaying something different.  Some depicted local streets that Oliver recognized as ones they’d been on that day. Others were further away-- Russia? He couldn’t be certain.  The next several had strings of code continually running across them. Then there were the searches. Words and phrases highlighted over and over in news broadcasts and magazine articles.

Stunned, Oliver glanced between the monitors before resting his gaze on the boy in the center of the room.

“What do you think?” Akio asked.  “Would Felicity be proud?”

Oliver let out a laugh.  “Actually,” he said, unable to keep the amazement from his voice.  “I think Felicity would be jealous.”

Akio’s eyes lit up at that.  “I was always so fascinated by what she did while we were in that little apartment in Moscow.  And she did it all with a computer and tablet. When you finally got me back to my parents and we came here,” he paused, gesturing around the room.  “I started building this.”

“Wow.”

“I know, right?  My parents were unsure at first, but when they realized how interested I was, they just started buying me old monitors and computer parts.  My dad is a genius at putting all this stuff together, and I’ve been coding since Felicity first showed me how.”

“She did?” Oliver asked, brow furrowed.  That was news to him. Then again, Felicity and Akio had been stuck in that apartment together plenty of times when he’d had to work for the Bratva.

Akio nodded.  “Yeah. She taught me the basics.  Or explained to me what she was doing while she was doing stuff.  I guess it just clicked.”

“It’s incredibly impressive,” Oliver said, taking another step into the room.

“Thanks,” the boy answered, but he sounded like he was only half paying attention as his fingers flew across the keyboard.  On the center set of screens, CCTV footage rolled on a loop until it stopped, identifying someone. Oliver looked closer. It was him, on video surveillance from the airport.  Akio isolated two more frames and pulled up the images. Tommy and Nyssa.

Akio paused, his head ticking to the side like he was trying to figure something out.  Then, he turned back toward Oliver and frowned. “Oliver?” He asked. “What’s the League of Assassins?  And why are you traveling with one of them?”

\---

He needed it to stop, His vision blurred the longer Nyssa took to return. 

_ I told you this would happen.  _ Malcolm was in front of him. And even though Tommy knew his father was dead, he almost felt like he could reach out and touch him. 

“Shut up,” he growled, pressing the heel of his palms against his temples. “Shut up.”

_ It’s consuming you. And if you weren’t so weak, you’d already feel better. _

“I don’t kill innocent people,” he whispered to the phantom. How many more times must he have this conversation with his father? How many more bodies would he have to wait to drop before the Lotus cured him? 

_ Your morality son, is what is killing you right now. Who cares of your soul if you’re body breaks down?  _ Malcolm sounded so calm, so earnest with his words. The tone he used, it was almost fatherly. 

Tommy shook his head, taking a deep breath in. He had to remember what was real. And the ghostly voice of his father wasn’t. 

He heard Nyssa approaching, and his guard went up. He feared what it would mean if she hadn’t been able to accomplish what he needed. But he saw as she dragged a man along with her. His build was slightly bigger than Nyssa, and she had clearly done a number on him already, if the bloodied face was any indication.

She dropped the man at his feet and pulled a dagger from her belt. “Make this quick, Merlyn. We have no time to linger here.”

“What’d he do?” he found himself asking, taking the blade and testing the weight in his hand. His body wanted to move on instinct, to plunge it deep into the man’s heart. But he held himself back. Not until he knew the man’s crimes.

_ Weak. _ Malcolm hissed.  _ You have the body, now do it. _

“Nyssa,” he said, looking at her. “What was his crime?”

She eyed him closely, and if he hadn’t known her better he would say the look she gave him was that pity. “Ask him yourself. He is an American.”

Tommy kneeled in front of the man, watching as his gaze passed between the two of them. And it seemed to dawn on him that he wasn’t any better off with them than he had been in that prison yard.

“What did you do?” Tommy asked he tried to keep his voice cold, to make this feel clinical, formal, anything but a slaughter. “What crime did they convict you of?”

“I didn’t do shit,” the man spat, glaring up at Tommy. “I’m innocent.”

“I’ve met a lot of people who’ve said the same thing,” he looked at the blade and sighed. “But someone always has something to confess. What’ll it be?”

“Go to hell,” he countered and he moved to stand, but Tommy pushed him back to the ground. And he had to keep his hand from shaking at the movement. 

“What,” Tommy said again. “Did you do?”

Nyssa slid her gaze to the man. “There’s no honor in death, if you take your sins to the grave.”

“And who the hell are you to judge?” he replied.

“End this,” Nyssa said again, and Tommy couldn’t hold off any longer. 

Personally, he preferred to know a man's crimes before he ended their life. It helped make things feel more just when he did, but the clock had run out. He reached for the man, put his hand over his mouth to stifle the screams, and plunged the dagger into his heart. He hated watching. He wished he didn’t see the light as he flickered out. But he had to watch. He had to know what they all looked like at the end. 

He stood, letting Nyssa take the dagger from the man’s chest and clean the blade. She didn’t look at him as she did it, and he wondered if she was avoiding him. 

“How did you do it?” he asked once she finished clearing the evidence. “How did you break him out?”

“It does not matter,” she said as she rose. “Your bloodlust is sated for now. And we will locate the Order and the Lotus before it fades. You can return to your life and I will return to the League.”

She made a move to pass him, but his hand caught her arm as she tried. “Nyssa, what aren’t you telling me? What was he in for?”

Her eyes turned on to him with fury. But she let it fall as she took a breath. “Murder.”

“Then how did you get him out?”

“He was being released when I came upon the prison,” she dropped her gaze.

“So he served his time,” Tommy felt a roll of nausea pass through him. He had killed a man who had been so close to freedom, so close to the end of something. “Why would you… Nyssa that wasn’t part of our deal.”

“We had no deal. The deal you made with yourself was the man had to have committed a terrible crime. It was never a stipulation that the crime needed to be fresh,” she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away from the body. “You feel as if you are righting wrongs done to the world if you choose criminals above others. But no matter the men you take out, you are still killing them. And this is why I should not have left you in the care of the League when I went in search of the Order.”

“This is the only thing that has kept me alive for the last few months,” he challenged. “Because you chose to save me.”

“Had I thought harder on the subject I assure you I would have let you perish,” she replied with a sigh. “You are not like the League, Tommy.  Nor are you like your father. Death takes a toll on you, harder than it would someone like me. And because of that toll you feel if you follow the rules you have set forth than everything will work itself out. But it is not always that simple.”

“We should get going,” he said wanting their conversation to end. “If we don’t catch up to Ollie soon he’ll think…”

What would Oliver think? Did he know what Tommy and Nyssa had run off to do? He had to have at least suspected. While Malcolm’s voice had vanished from his head, he feared another might take up in its place. And he worried that one would sound a lot like his friend.

“Next time,” he said as he pulled out his phone, worried there would be blood staining his hands, but they were clean. “Just make sure they weren’t being released from jail.”

Nyssa stopped him with her arm. Her eyes never left him as she spoke. “There will be no next time. If we do not find the Crescent Order, then I’m afraid I cannot help you continue this.”

“Nyssa look--”

“I mean it,” she said and he could hear the resolve in her voice. “That was the last life you take with or without the Lotus. I will not help you any longer.”

“And what if the bloodlust takes over? What then?”

“Then I will make sure you do not hurt a single person you care for.”

He heard the words she didn’t say more than the ones she had. If they couldn’t find the Lotus, and the bloodlust took hold of him once more, Nyssa would put him down. 

If it had been someone else he would probably fear them after a statement like that. But Tommy let out a ragged breath before he replied. “Thank you.”

“Let us venture to our accommodations,” she said with her head high. “I wish to get started as early as we can.”

He looked at the text Oliver sent him with the coordinates and showed them to Nyssa. She nodded, and motioned for him to proceed forward. 

He needed the Lotus more than ever. He needed to get things back on track. Because as much as he wanted to go home, to start his life with Laurel, he would welcome death if they couldn’t find it. It would be safer for everyone.

\---

Roy opted not to sit, but leaned against a pillar near the back entrance he’d just come in through.  He was still looking at them expectantly, with enough bravado to cover whatever obvious hurt he felt over Thea not telling him about this all sooner.

He scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.  His glare was hard and directed at Thea. “I knew it,” he said, mild venom in his voice.  “I’ve had this feeling for weeks. Like something’s been off with you. I guess I finally know what it is.”

“Don’t,” Thea started, shaking her head.  “You don’t get to put this all on me. I asked you.  I  _ begged _ you to stop looking into the vigilante.”

“Because you didn’t want me finding out your connection to him!”  He turned like he was going to leave.

“Wait,” Felicity called, scrunching her nose.  She hated feeling like she was getting involved in a lover’s quarrel, but she couldn’t let Roy out of the Foundry knowing what he now knew.  Not without his word that he wouldn’t betray all their secrets.

He paused, his back to them all.  Felicity’s eyes darted to Sara, who seemed tense, ready to spring into action if need be.  But Felicity gave her a small shake of her head, telling her to stand down. She didn’t want this to come to blows.  She couldn’t imagine what that would do to Thea.

“Roy,” Felicity called again.  And this time he turned back halfway.  Enough that Felicity could see the profile of his face, the hurt he was trying to mask.  “Can we talk about this please?”

He looked to Thea, and then back to Felicity, and gave her a small nod.

Felicity blew out a breath.  She never imagined keeping secrets would take such a toll on a person.  But she could see it all over Thea’s expression and she felt for the youngest Queen.  Thea knew firsthand what it was like to be lied to about the people closest to her. And knowing the truth about Oliver put her in a tough spot when it came to Roy.  Thea had told Felicity how much she hated not being able to tell him. And it looked like Thea was finally getting her chance to change that.

Roy moved back into the vast open space, hands in his pockets as he approached.  “It’s your brother, isn’t it?” Roy asked. “Oliver?”

Thea nodded.  “It wasn’t my secret to tell,” she said quietly.  “I wanted to tell you. So many times. You know what all those bombs I learned on my birthday did to me.  And I didn’t want to keep this from you.” She took a step toward him. “I’ve just lost so much, and I couldn't bear the thought of losing you too.”

“You won’t,” he said automatically.  “You could never--”

Felicity cleared her throat, pulling both Thea and Roy’s attention to her.  “I think what Thea is afraid of is you going out there and trying to be like him.”

Roy scoffed again, but it wasn’t a denial.

“I know you Roy,” Thea said, moving closer to him and putting her hands on his arms.  “The Glades is your home. And it’s been terrorized for too long. With the Arrow and Canary taking thugs off the streets, I know you’ve been tracking them.”  She paused, pulling up the hem of his shirt to reveal a large green and purple bruise. “I know you’ve been fighting those thugs too.” She forced out a huff of laughter.  “Just like when we first met. Fighting off those pervy guys that were following me. I told Tommy back then that I knew you had a good heart. But you’re not invincible.”

“That’s why I needed his help,” Roy muttered, gesturing to Oliver’s suit in the display case.  “I was hoping he’d… I don’t know. Train me or whatever.”

Felicity had to bite back a laugh.  Roy and Thea were so similar. Perfect for each other, really.  Both reckless and headstrong. Both fighting for what they believe in, trying to make their world a better place.

“Ollie’s not--” Thea started, and then stopped herself.

“I can hold my own,” Roy protested.  “And I don’t want an answer. I just want an opportunity to make my case,” he smirked.  But the smile faltered as he seemed to remember that he was upset with Thea. “How long have you known?”

“Since the night at Merlyn Global,” she answered honestly.

“And you kept it from me this whole time.”

“To be fair,” Thea protested.  “He threatened to put an arrow in you.”

Roy’s eyes went wide.  “He wouldn’t, would he?”

Thea and Roy’s gazes shifted to Felicity, who shrugged.  “I don’t  _ think _ so.”

“So is this like, the Arrow Cave?”

“We don’t call it that,” Sara called, her only interjection into the conversation, Felicity noticed with a mixture of irritation and amusement.

“I do,” Felicity said.  “Occasionally.”

“And she’s…” Roy gestured to Sara.

Felicity nodded.  “She’s the Canary,” she said proudly.  “And as for me. Well, everything you see here is my domain,” she beamed, nodding to the computer set up.  “Resident comm overlord--”

“And badass hacker,” Thea finished.

“And that,” Felicity said, giving Thea a wink.  In the back of her mind, she knew that Oliver would be furious when he learned that Roy knew the truth.  But having someone show up in the Foundry didn’t leave them with a ton of options.  _ Show up in the Foundry _ … the words replayed again in her mind and she paused.  “Wait. How did you get in here anyway? And how did you know  _ to _ get in here?”

Roy shrugged, pulling a lock pick set from his pocket.  “I might have been keeping tabs on Arrow and Canary sightings.  And there have been a  _ lot _ in this neighborhood.  I’ve been making my way through the alleys, trying different doors.”  He paused and looked at Thea. “We’re under the club right now, aren’t we?”  He scoffed. “Ugh, I can’t believe it’s been literally under my nose the whole time.”

“The where makes a little more sense once you know the who,” Felicity admitted.  

“Ollie opened the club to have an excuse to be seen here.” Thea looped an arm through Roy’s.

“That explains those two,” Roy said, his eyes travelling back to Thea.  “But what are you doing here? And why do you look like you’re training?”

“Sara’s teaching me self defense,” she said quickly, leaving out the part where  _ she _ wanted to be out there fighting alongside them as well.

“Me too, apparently,” Felicity said, lifting one of the boxing gloves she’d removed.  

Even if Oliver wouldn’t appreciate their circle of people being in the ‘know’ growing larger, Felicity had to admit she kind of liked it.  It was kind of like in the movies when two armies are on a battlefield and the smaller army knows they’re outnumbered ten to one. But then there’s this stirring scene where the main character gives a speech to the whole town they’re defending, and everyone in the town comes out to fight alongside the army.  Real, everyday people doing what they could to help the protectors. It was just… heartwarming.

Roy nodded, seemingly lost in thought.  Surely, it was a lot to take in. He wandered the room for a few moments, his eyes training on everything, like he was afraid if he blinked it would all disappear.  

Felicity didn’t know much about Thea’s boyfriend, other than what the SCPD had on him.  No known father. Mother disappeared when he was a kid, leaving him to fend for himself in a run-down, government assisted housing development.  Somehow he kept the place, but had been in and out of the police department since he was 12. Early on it was for theft, but more recently for fighting, usually with well known thugs or gangs in the Glades.  

She could see him doing well working with Oliver, not that she’d ever tell Roy that.  Oliver would make his own decisions about whether or not he was a fit for the team. Because they  _ were _ becoming a team, despite Oliver’s initial intentions.  He’d told her once that he’d planned on doing this all by himself.  The mission in his father’s book. But they’d always worked better together, and once they’d brought Diggle and Sara on, everything just clicked.

“Any other burning questions?” Felicity asked brightly, pulling Roy’s focus back.

“Yeah,” he said.  He came to rest in front of Oliver’s suit, his eyes glued to it.  “How do I sign up?”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my dears,  
> Ready for a new chapter??? Things are speeding up towards some plot points. And I will say there is a storyline in this chapter, that I would say toes into the mystical kind of. No spoilers, but we really tried to come at this with a balance of realism and fantasy, and I for one love it. Hopefully you will too.
> 
> Without further ado. Happy reading!!
> 
> love,   
> Kayla

Oliver watched as Akio’s screens lit up over and over again with alerts. Nyssa’s face was being flagged from every major airport around the globe, and he had to huff out a laugh when he saw Starling International ping amidst O’Hare and JFK. 

“Can you possibly make this stop doing whatever it’s doing right now?” he asked, not quite able to contain the anxiety that flared in him. He trusted the Yamashiro’s with his life, but the number of alerts was sending his brain into panic.

Akio hit a few buttons and the alerts stopped almost instantly. “The algorithm is a little aggressive when it latches onto a piece of data. I wanted to be sure we could stay on top of any thing ARGUS could try to do.”

“I get that,” he drew in a deep breath as he took the open chair next to his young friend. “It’s impressive, the lengths you want to go to keep your family safe.”

“I learned from the best,” he said with a shrug. 

“Yeah your parents are pretty great.”

Akio let out a small laugh. “I meant you.”

“Oh.”

“You did a lot to keep me safe. You sacrificed a lot,” he replied. Oliver wondered just how much Akio understood from their time in Russia, how maybe he hadn’t kept all that stuff as separate from his apartment as he had tried. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yes I did,” Oliver said. And he knew it was true. No matter the things he had to do for the Bratva, no matter the darkness it had settled in him, he would do it again in a heartbeat if it meant protecting Akio. 

“So you didn’t actually answer my question,” he said, pulling Oliver’s attention back to the present. “Why are you travelling with a woman flagged as a threat in, thirty-five, no forty-five, different countries?”

“That is a complicated question,” he groaned, leaning back in his chair. “But she’s helping my friend. So until she isn’t, she’s an ally.”

“You kind of have a habit of turning complicated allies into friends.”

“Meaning?”

“Just that I know what my dad went to Russia for you a few months ago,” he explained with a shrug. Oliver should have guessed Maseo would tell them. “I’m glad you could help Sofia, Ivan, and Ana.”

“So am I.” 

“So the League of Assassins? What are they about?”

“I feel like the name is self explanatory.” 

He didn’t want to bring Akio further into this mess. He didn’t want the same kind of shadows that had been hovering around him for years to infect his friend’s lives. Akio was safe with his mother and father. And apart from asking for Maseo’s help a few months back, he wanted to keep them safe. And that meant keeping them out of the worst of this. He shouldn’t have agreed to this, to inviting darkness into their lives. 

“Fine, don’t tell me,” Akio said his gaze shifting back to the computers. “But I can find out.”

“Akio,” Oliver said placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Do me a favor, don’t press this. You three, you don’t need this stuff in your life. Let it be normal or at least as normal as you can reach.”

“You sound like my mom,” he rolled his eyes, and Oliver couldn’t help but smile. “But I’ll drop it. At least until you slip up and say something about it later.”

“Deal,” he sighed, feeling the stress of the day willing itself to melt away. He finally felt his travels hit him hard. And he wished he could sleep even if a part of him wanted to call Felicity. He wished he could hear her voice. But when he checked the time he grimaced. It was just after three a.m. in Starling. And even though he kept Felicity up late when they had missions, he knew her well enough to know she would be in bed by now. But if he held off on sleep for a few hours, he could catch her as she woke up.

Akio had been watching him he noticed, but when he looked up he saw the teen’s focus hadn’t been on him, but on the background photo of the phone in his hand.

“So,” Akio said with a grin. “You two are dating, then?”

“That’s… none of your business.”

“Come on, she’s your background and lock screen. If that doesn’t say commitment I don’t know what does.”

He laughed. And it’s not like he wanted to deny his relationship status to Akio, but the kid was fifteen. So he gave him enough to stop the questions. “She’s very important to me, and I would be lost without her.”

“Good to know.”

Oliver shook his head, but before he could change the subject Maseo poked his head around the corner. “Dinner is ready.”

“I have definitely missed Tatsu’s cooking,” he said as he and Akio stood. 

“She will be very glad to hear that, since this one would prefer pizza.”

“That might be my fault,” Oliver said holding his hands up. “But in my defense I had a crappy kitchen in Russia.”

“And he never went shopping,” Akio added with a smirk. Oliver playfully shoved him forward as they went to join Tatsu in the kitchen.

It amazed him how even though years and tragedies had passed since the last time the four of them had sat down for a meal together, he still found the same sense of peace in seeing their family thriving. He had met the Yamashiros when he had wished for nothing else in his life but a way out of the crap he kept being thrown into. And without even realizing it, Oliver was sure the reason he could fight so hard to be with Felicity, was getting to see Maseo and Tatsu bonded to tightly together. If they could make it through Amanda Waller and still be so woven together, than what couldn’t Oliver weather for Felicity?

“That was amazing,” he said as he set his bowl in the sink. Tatsu and Maseo had made Akio head off to work on school work, and it was just the three adult in the kitchen. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

“You are not just the man who saved my family Oliver,” she said with a kind smile. “We consider you family as well.”

“I appreciate that.” He had realized over the last year that family came in so many different vessels. It wasn’t just the blood that ran through his veins, but the people he chose to keep in his life. “I feel the same.”

He moved to help her wash and dry the dishes, when they heard footsteps outside. Logic told him it was Tommy and Nyssa, but he still went on the defense, moving past both of them and grabbing for the gun he had brought with him. 

He hated using guns, he preferred a bow and quiver, but that was harder to conceal on your person. So Oliver crept over to the front window, and peered out. He saw the shadows climb the front steps, and when the porch light illuminated Tommy’s face, that’s when he took a steady breath.

Maseo and Tatsu had been just as worried, he noted when he turned and saw a pistol in his hand and a sword in Tatsu’s. He held his hand up that it was alright, and went to open the front door.

Nyssa looked annoyed that it had taken him so long to let her inside, even though she didn’t speak as she moved past him. But Oliver kept his focus on Tommy.

He looked better than earlier, more focused and put together. And Oliver had a sickening suspicion he knew the reason for that.

“You two get lost?” he asked as he closed the door behind them.

Tommy gave him a shaky smile, and he saw that despite the clearness in his friend’s eyes, there was a new weight there too. Something heavy hung around him. 

“Yeah, sorry about that,” he said clearing his throat, and turning to Maseo. His confident demeanor slammed into place before he spoke again. “Thank you again for letting us crash here.”

“Of course,” he said with a nod. “Tatsu, you have yet to meet Tommy. He and Felicity were instrumental in helping me make my way back to you.”

Tommy stuck his hand out to shake hers, she took the offer and smiled. “Thank you for your help and kindness. My heart was mended the day he returned to me.”

“He helped us find Oliver too,” Tommy said with kindness. “So I should thank you, for being the strength that held him together even when you were apart.”

“I’ll grab Akio once more, so he can meet you both,” Maseo said, and Oliver couldn’t help the spike of fear that went through him. He shouldn’t have brought Nyssa here. Tommy he trusted, even in the middle of this bloodlust crap. But he didn’t know Nyssa well enough to trust her. And he didn’t think he ever could.

Tommy smiled at him. “You call home yet?”

“Nope,” he replied and checked his watch. It would just be after five thirty for Felicity, but he hoped she’d be okay with a call. 

It only took a few rings before he heard her groggy voice through the line. “You better not be calling me to say you’ve been kidnapped. It’s too early for that.”

“Good morning to you too,” he replied with a low laugh. “I just wanted to let you know we’re here and everything’s okay. Plus Tommy suggested I call.”

“Glad you’re okay, tell Tommy I’ll hit him later.”

He smiled then to his friend. “She says ‘hi’.”

“I know that’s a lie.”

“Oliver,” she said, drawing his attention back. “Be safe.”

“I will,” he promised. “You will never guess what happened when we got here…”

But he didn’t get to finish the thought. Nyssa who had been surveying the room, was now crouched in a fighting stance, a blade that looked like a small sword pulled from her belongings. 

“I’ll call you back,” he dropped his phone and moved to disarm her. 

She fought against him, but when Tommy rushed to them she dropped her stance and backed off. 

“What the hell is your problem?” Oliver growled, before he looked across the living room to see Tatsu with her katana in hand. She looked ready to defend, not ready to kill. 

“Nyssa,” Tommy prompted.

Nyssa gestured to the mantle, to a wooden carving that sat in the center of half a dozen photos. “Your  _ friend _ here knows what we seek.”

“What are you talking about?” Oliver stepped away from Nyssa and closer to Tatsu. “Are you okay?”

“You should not have brought the League here Oliver,” she said with a shake of her head. “They will know.”

“Who will know?”

She met his gaze, and he could see how much she didn’t wish to say the next words. But she held her head high anyway as she spoke. “The Crescent Order.”

\---

“Wait,” Tommy said, huffing a breath.  “You’re telling me that you’re apart of the incredibly elusive, like of mythical proportions, group we came here to find?”  It seemed too good to be true. But more than that, it seemed way too easy.

Tatsu narrowed her eyes at him.  “No,” she said, katana still poised.  “But we are on familiar terms. And if a member of the League is here, they will not be far behind.”

Tommy and Oliver held fast between Nyssa and Tatsu, with Maseo and who Tommy assumed was Akio returning into the hallway.

“Mom?” the young man questioned, surprise and confusion mingled on his features.  “What are you doing?”

“This is not the time, Akio,” she warned, eyes still trained on Nyssa.

“How did you come to be in possession of that?” Nyssa demanded, pointing toward the wooden carving of a waning moon on the mantel.

He wondered what the best way out of this situation was.  If there even  _ was _ a way out of this situation.  They needed to diffuse it, somehow.  And now that the bloodlust was gone, Tommy’s head was clear enough to try to think through how to handle it.

Tommy nodded to Oliver, and then took a step toward Nyssa.  Oliver did the same thing, taking a step in the opposite direction toward Tatsu.

“No one wants this to end in bloodshed,” Tommy said cautiously.  “So let’s all lower our weapons and talk this out.”

The assassin stayed crouched low, ready to spring into an attack.  Tommy took another step toward her, blocking her view entirely of the other side of the room.

“Nyssa,” he said, his voice quiet but firm.

“You dare bring this filth into my house,” Tatsu spat.

Tommy glanced back over his shoulder, but even as she spoke, Tatsu lowered her weapon.  He wondered if taking stock of their surroundings, Tatsu decided it wasn’t worth ruining her home over.

“Your insults are as dull as your sword,” Nyssa said quietly, but she too lowered her weapon.

Maseo moved to his wife’s side, with Akio sheltered between his parents.  The tension in the room was beyond palpable, and for several long moments, they were all quiet as the thickness of the silence settled around them.

After what felt like forever, Tommy cleared his throat and nodded toward the family.  “You must be Akio?” he said with a shaky grin.

“Tommy,” Oliver warned.

“What?  Humor can only help this particular situation.  It certainly couldn’t make it worse.” He took a step toward Akio.  “I’m Tommy. Sorry I never got to meet you in Moscow. Things were a little crazy back then.  But I’m glad you and Oliver were able to look after each other. And get each other home safe.”

Akio nodded, and held out his hand to shake.  “I’ve heard a lot about you,” the boy said. “From both Oliver and Felicity.”

“That Smoak,” Tommy said wistfully.  “She’s quite the situation diffuser herself.”

Akio smiled fondly.  “She’s great.”

“Oliver’s pretty partial to her too,” Tommy stage whispered.

“Oh, I know,” Akio grinned wide.  “You should have seen them when they first met.”

Tommy’s heart swelled at that.  He’d seen Oliver and Felicity together enough in Russia to know that they were into each other.  But Akio had just confirmed what Tommy had always assumed- that there had been some immediate spark between his two best friends that neither could deny.

“You should see them now.  In fact-”

“Tommy!” Oliver said, more sternly than before, if that was even possible.

He turned back to Ollie.  “What? You want to actually talk about this like adults and come to some sort of mutual agreement?”

Oliver ran a hand through his hair in frustration and Tommy sighed, deflating a little.

“Tatsu,” Oliver said.  “Are you sure that the Crescent Order is real, and that they may have what we’re looking for?”

Tommy’s heart leapt to his throat at the thought.  He’d been working for so long under the assumption that the Order  _ had _ to be real.  Because he couldn’t imagine an alternative where they weren’t, where he didn’t get the cure.  But now that they were so close to confirmation, how had he spouted off inane babble for so long instead of confirming it himself?

“If you are seeking out the Crescent Order, you can only be after one thing,” Tatsu said, anger still sitting behind her words.

“The Lotus,” Nyssa said.  “Is it more than simple legend?”

Tatsu opened her mouth to answer, but paused.  A faint beeping sound came from somewhere further in the house.  And then a second beeping, and another until it sounded like twenty different alarms had been tripped.

“Akio.  Your safe room!  Go now!” Maseo exclaimed, pushing the boy toward the hallway.

“The motion sensors?” Oliver asked, producing a gun that had been tucked into his waistband.

“Yes,” Maseo confirmed.  “It must be the Crescent Order.”

“Go with him,” Tatsu said to Maseo.  “I will handle this.”

Maseo disappeared down the hall and a second later the alarms quieted.  The remaining four of them turned their back to one another, making a circle of defense against whoever was coming for them.  Nyssa handed Tommy a knife and an icy chill ran down his spine. For a group they were seeking out, why did it all of a sudden feel like they were prey, instead of predator?

A faint gust of air swept through the space, the only indication that they might not be alone in the house.  Tommy blinked, and two hooded figures appeared in front of him. Nyssa reacted before he could, swinging her blade out at them.  Behind him, Tommy could hear Oliver and Tatsu engaging as well. Tommy lunged for the closest figure, but it was like a ghost or a shadow.  It moved faster than Tommy’s mind could process, and evaded his grasp like a vapor.

He moved again, the knife in his right hand slicing through nothing but air.  His senses felt sluggish, like he was fighting underwater. A moment later, he staggered backwards and slowed to a stop.  Oliver stood beside him, and only Tatsu and Nyssa kept up their assault of the shadows.

“Ollie…” Tommy gasped.

Oliver shook his head, like he was trying to release himself from the fog.

“Enough!” Tatsu cried, and both Nyssa and the shadows froze.

Before Tommy’s eyes, the shadows solidified, taking on the forms of humans.  Five of them, clad all in black, hoods covering their faces. In Tatsu’s hand was the carved wooden moon and she held it up at eye-level, as if presenting it to the group before her.  Deliberately, she touched the statue to her forehead, and then handed it to Nyssa, who mirrored her motions, touching it to her own forehead and then extending it to the group.

Tommy watched with rapt attention, unsure of the significance of what Tatsu had just done, but knowing that it must be something big.

“You take our protection lightly,” one of the hooded figures said, reaching up and lowering the covering from their head.  The man revealed under the hood was old. Impossibly so. His hair was dove white and loose, flowing down where it disappeared beneath the hood.  The wrinkles on his face and hands were deep crevices worn down over decades, maybe Tommy wondered, even centuries.

Tommy had heard from Nyssa that many used the Lazarus Pit not for healing, but to extend their lives.  He knew that Ra’s was one such person. And Tommy wondered if this man was as well.

“I do not,” Tatsu answered, bowing her head slightly.  “Our companion is in search of the Lotus.” She gestured to Tommy, who moved forward, almost without even moving his feet.

“And he comes with the League,” the old man said.

“He is not one of us,” Nyssa said, her voice neutral.  “He was fatally wounded defeating a rogue member of the League.  I was duty-bound to save his life.”

The man turned his gaze to Nyssa.  “You are Nyssa Al Ghul.”

“Heir to the Demon,” she finished with a nod.  “My father, the Demon's Head has deemed this a fool’s errand.  He believes the Order was eradicated generations ago.”

“He believes as we wish him to believe.”

Tommy cleared his throat, hope rising in his chest again.  “Does that mean you can help me?” he asked, trying to keep the desperation from his voice.  He needed this, more than he’d ever needed anything else.

“How long have you been inflicted?” the man asked, turning his gaze to Tommy.

“A little over two months.”

“And the lives you’ve taken as a result?”

“He lives by his own code,” Nyssa interjected.  “Seeking justice by--”

Tommy didn’t hear the rest, the old man clamped a hand around Tommy’s chin, locking their eyes together.  Everything else fell away and Tommy’s mind felt like it was a catalog of memories, the man’s eyes scanning through the pages.  He saw Laurel, Thea, the trip he took with Felicity to find Oliver. Memories resurfaced one after another, until recently. His father on the roof, the shot that pierced him, sending him careening into the open elevator shaft.  The bloodlust. Following Nyssa to Nanda Parbat and begging Ra’s to help him. The men and women that Tommy had fought… and killed.

When the old man let him go, Tommy fell to his knees, cheeks wet with tears.  He sucked in a breath as he tried to force the memories back, but like a dam loosed, they continued their assault on his mind.  So many lives he’d taken, all to sate the bloodlust within him, to keep him from killing people more innocent than himself.

“Will you help him?” he heard Oliver ask above him.  Tommy dropped his hands to the ground to steady himself.

After a long moment, the old man answered.  “We will.”

\---

She had slept in that morning, and when she finally stretched her arms out wide the clock on her nightstand read nine am. Felicity groaned. She had wanted to get her day started a little earlier than this. But after her little training/girl’s night she decided against setting an alarm. Leave it to Oliver to call her just after five the one time she did this.

As much as she loved hearing his voice, she really didn’t remember half their conversation. She did however know she didn’t tell him about Roy. Which was good. If anyone was going to tell Oliver his little sister’s boyfriend was now in the know about his secret identity, then it wasn’t gonna be her.

As she got up, she could feel sleep and her workout heavy in her limbs. But she would shake it off and get back to work. 

Her mom had been right yesterday. Felicity took a step away from her problem, and while the solution wasn’t staring her right in the face, she was pretty sure she had a direction to go.

She just wanted to drop the right bread crumbs and in the right places. Because whoever was out there using her code couldn’t have just started. It was too much of a coincidence for things to happen when they did. And if someone had gotten ahold of it outside of the small circle she had when it was created, they would need to practice in order to perfect it. 

Felicity rushed to get to Helix, the only stop she wanted to make beforehand was to grab some coffee. While Cayden provided all of them with the latest tech and software, the kitchenette left something to be desired. And she could not go up against this mystery hacker without some java in her system.

She came across the new coffee shop and sighed as she saw the line that was already formed by the counter. It was almost ten in the morning. Why weren’t these people at work already? She pulled out her phone to let Alena know she’d be late, when she ran straight into someone.

“Sorry,” he said, righting her before she could lose her balance. 

Felicity would have apologized herself, knowing that texting and walking usually had this result. But when she looked up and met his gaze, a drop of anger iced in her stomach. Of all the people in Starling City to run into her, it would have to be Sebastian Blood.

“It’s alright,” she said pulling back as she moved towards the line. She didn’t know him personally, and she would not be taking the time to rectify that. Not with the things he’d been saying about Tommy. 

“Do we know each other?”

“No,” she replied glancing back at him. “Why?”

“Well usually when someone is that frosty with me, I at least know why.”

She turned back to face him, trying to keep as polite of a smile on her face as she could muster. “I’m just not a fan of your campaign strategy.” 

“You don’t want the people of the Glades to feel empowered?”

“Not at the expense of other people’s names,” she said in a low voice. It wasn’t the best idea. But she hated anyone who would tear down her friends. And Sebastian Blood had been going after Tommy for months. “The people of this city should want to band together. Are you aware of how many people lost their lives the night those machines went off? There were days when the families didn’t know if their loved ones were inside Merlyn Global or not? And they weren’t just one percenters. There were people downtown who lived and grew up in the same neighborhoods you’re trying to ‘empower’ right now.”

“Why don’t you give this impassioned speech to son of the man who did all this? Oh wait, Merlyn left town right after the rubble settled.”

“You don’t know a damn thing about Tommy Merlyn,” she hissed, the anger coiling in her. She opened her mouth to add something else when a hand clasped on her wrist.

“Felicity, there you are,” Laurel’s voice carried through her haze, and she realized where she was. Laurel took one look at Blood and smirk. “Alderman Blood. How’s the campaign?”

“ADA Lance. It would be better if the DA’s office was pushing forward in arresting any of Malcolm Merlyn’s co-conspirators.”

Felicity tried not to flinch when she heard Blood’s words. They may have been generalized, but she felt each of them hit her square in the chest.  

“As I’m sure you’re aware Sebastian, the DA is very busy. Not to mention since there is no evidence suggesting anyone else even knew about Malcolm Merlyn’s plan. Who exactly would you like the DA to serve with a warrant, his former assistant?” 

“We both know he had some pretty smart people working on that device,” he replied, taking a sip of his coffee. “And the people of Starling City deserve justice for what happened.”

“You speak a lot for justice,” she said taking a step forward. “But what this city really needs, is someone who isn’t going to alienate half the population in order to get votes.”

He gave the pair of them a look before he nodded. “I guess I’ll be going now.”

“Goodbye Alderman,” Laurel waved before she turned back to Felicity. “That man makes my skin crawl.”

“Glad I’m not alone in that regard,” but Felicity still felt unease at Blood’s comments. Especially regarding those who worked on the Markov device. 

Laurel motioned towards a table and Felicity followed. “I try not to let him get to me, considering my position. But if he says one more thing publicly about Tommy… I might lose it.”

“I will fully back you there.”

Laurel smiled. “I just wanted to step in because, well I know Sebastian has been looking into Malcolm’s former employees. And I wouldn’t feel right if he tried to go after you in this witch hunt.”

“Witch hunt?”

“Sebastian is determined to see Malcolm’s co-conspirators pay for the crimes done to the city,” she explained. “And you worked with him for two years. If he gets wind of that, I think he might be hyper focused on you.”

She nodded, feeling a new sense of anxiety filling her. Sebastian had already dragged Tommy’s name through the mud by just being related to Merlyn. If he even suspected she knew about the devices she’d have another thing on her plate.

“Don’t worry about me Laurel,” she said pushing her fears down. “I can take care of myself.”

“I know, but I care about my friends,” she shrugged. “Hey I thought you went to that cafe over on Decker street.”

“You know I was,” Felicity tugged on her ponytail as she spoke. “But it is… under new management. Just not the same anymore.”

“Alrighty, well I would love to catch up,” Laurel pouted. “But sadly I am due in court in about 40 minutes. So I need to get going. But call me later and we will get dinner this week okay?”

“Bye Laurel,” she waved at Laurel as she left, and stood up to head back to the coffee line. 

The crowd had thinned considerably and she only had to wait for two customers before she was standing in front of the register.

“What’ll it be?”

“I will take a large vanilla iced latte,” she answered, then looked over at the pastries. 

But as she did her eyes caught something in front of her. A bowl sitting next to the register filled with business cards. But the one directly on top is what struck her attention. 

It was a grayscale design, with coding running across the front. She knew that code. It was  _ her  _ code. But what the hell was it doing on a business card in a cafe downtown? Myron flashed in her head again. But would he really stoop so low as to lie to her and then follow her to a coffee shop?

“Miss?” the barista got her attention and Felicity snapped out of her haze. 

“What do I owe you?”

The young girl held out her latte and smiled. “It’s been taken care of.”

“By who exactly?” Felicity thought to Laurel, but there was no way she had time to buy her coffee unless she had hidden super speed she wasn’t telling anyone about.

The barista looked around like she was trying to find the culprit, but then her eyes locked on the bowl and pulled out the same business card Felicity had been staring at thirty seconds ago. 

“Here, he dropped this in the bowl when he paid,” she smiled. “Guess you’ve got an admirer.”

“Guess so,” Felicity said, trying to keep her voice even as she took the card. 

The code was embossed on both sides of the card, and feeling the raised numbers didn’t do anything to quell the fear coiling in her stomach. He had been here, whoever  _ he  _ was, a couple places ahead of her in line. And she hadn’t seen him.

She flipped the card over. Unlike the other side, this one had the lines of code stopping in a pattern that started to form words before her eyes.

_ Brother Eye _

_ Find us if you can _

_ Seek us if you dare _

Felicity could see this as it was. A taunt, a game. This  _ Brother Eye _ , wanted to see if she was  _ worthy _ of their time? Ha, she’d make them realize they weren’t worthy of hers. 

She needed to get to a computer right away. She would track these people down. And she would do it today.

\---


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies— 
> 
> Another week, another chapter. But before we get there... I just want to say a quick thank you for everyone who reads, leaves kudos, comments, reblogs, etc. we love you all. Now... Who is ready for the fun?? 
> 
> -Cassie

“Can you give us a moment?” Oliver asked, eyes still trained on the four hooded figures and the older man that seemed to be their spokesperson.

The man gave a brief nod and the figures dissolved into mist and shadows before disappearing from the room.  A shudder ran down Oliver’s spine at the thought of asking these people for help, even if it was the only known option.  At what cost would their help come? He had already questioned reality when Nyssa had healed Tommy, and in coming on this wild goose chase to find some magical cure.  There was already so much making his head spin when it came to these mystical, disappearing sorcerers. Could he really trust their benevolence to be just that?

Oliver sank to his knees beside Tommy as soon as the group had vanished.  “What did he do to you?” he asked, placing a hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” he rasped, still sounding like he was catching his breath.  “Where’d they…” he paused, sucking in another breath. “Where’d they go?”

Sticking a hand under each of Tommy’s arms, Oliver pulled him to his feet.  “They’ll be back,” Oliver said. At least he  _ hoped _ they’d be back.  “Just wanted a minute to discuss and figure out our next step.”

“What discussion is necessary?” Nyssa asked, her tone still on edge.  “He needs their help, they have agreed to provide it.”

“Doesn’t it seem odd to anyone else?  That they’d come in here metaphorical guns blazing and then just agree to help him, without asking anything in return?”  He hated to be that person, the one always questioning things. But Oliver had seen enough of the world to know that nothing came without cost.  And Tommy had already paid so much. What else would his friend have to endure to cleanse himself of the bloodlust that plagued him?

“Your friend is pure of heart,” Tatsu said solemnly.  “That is their only requirement to treat the effects of the Lazarus Pit.”  She stepped forward and retrieved the moon carving from Nyssa and replaced it on the mantel.  “If he had not been, his story would have a much different ending.”

Tatsu turned and removed her sheath from its place on the wall.  She fastened the strap across her back and sheathed her katana. “I must speak with Maseo and Akio.  And then we can depart.”

“What ending would my story have had?” Tommy asked, color returning to his face as he stood between Oliver and Nyssa and continued to take deep breaths.  “And where are we going?”

“The Crescent Order’s mission is to eradicate those touched by the Pit.  Either through cleansing with the Lotus Elixir,” Tatsu said, heading for the hallway where Maseo and Akio were still locked in a room.

“Or by death,” Nyssa finished.

Oliver’s attention went to Nyssa, and his glare hardened.  “You brought him here on the  _ chance  _ that they might spare his life?” he seethed.

“I did not know that was their code,” she answered, tucking her knives back into their place on her belt.  “I only surmised as much from your friend’s remark. I know you do not trust me, Mr. Queen, but I vowed to aide Tommy in his quest to rid himself of the bloodlust.  So for now, you must at least tolerate me, as I tolerate you.”

“Guys,” Tommy said with a huff.  “We were doing so well.” He swallowed hard as he faced them both.  “Let’s all practice a little faith and forgiveness. And maybe we’ll get out of this mess without anyone getting killed.”

Oliver scowled at Tommy’s cavalier quip.  No one was dying on this trip. Not on his watch.  Besides, wasn’t that why Tommy had asked him to come along?  To have his back? But had the Crescent Order not found Tommy’s heart to be pure, would he even be standing in front of him right now?  Or would they have ended his life then and there, without a word about it?

It was too many questions that he could never have answers to.  So instead, he nodded stiffly at Tommy’s request. Faith and forgiveness.  Neither came easy to him, but Oliver could at least be civil. And if Nyssa had Tommy’s back, then perhaps Oliver could have hers.  Even if he couldn’t say what Sara saw in the woman.

None of them spoke again until Tatsu returned a moment later, Akio and Maseo behind her.

“I want to apologize for getting your family mixed up in this,” Oliver said, holding Maseo’s gaze.  “If I had known…”

“It is highly unlikely you would have found the Order on your own,” Tatsu said dismissively.  “Unless they’d come looking for Tommy because of the bloodlust.”

“That’s quite the special breed of magic they wield,” Tommy said, trying to lighten the mood as he always did.  “They can appear and disappear, and sense out bloodlust?”

“The Order has spent centuries developing an antidote to the bloodlust that comes with the Lazarus Pit water,” Tatsu said moving through the room collecting things as she went.  “The cure has been their sole mission since leaving the League of Assassins. They are as sensitive to its presence as any predator in nature is to their prey.”

“Good to know,” Tommy said, clearing his throat.  “So where do we go to find the Order?”

Tatsu paused, frowning.  “Deep into the mountains of Kamikochi.  It is a difficult journey and must be made on foot.  There, the Order has built a temple to the priestess Gorgon.  They believe she is the creator of life. And the protector and bringer of death.  The elixir is derived from the lotus blossoms that grow in the River of Life, where Gorgon was thought to have been borne of, and lain to rest in.”

All of the stories were making Oliver’s head spin.  Things that he would have once shrugged off as fable and fairytale were being spoken of like truth.  And reverent truth at that.

“How do you know so much about them?” Oliver asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

“They were my kin,” she said, softly.  “Until I left them for the man I love.”  She turned away from him then, pulling a small wooden box from a shelf and opening it.

Oliver blew out a long breath.  This was getting more complicated by the minute.  He knew first hand that when family was involved- even estranged family- that things got infinitely more difficult to navigate.  “Are you sure you want to come with us?”

“It is impossible to get to without a guide,” Tatsu said, giving him a sad smile.  “They harbor no ill-will for my leaving. It is understood among the Crescent Order that paths converge and diverge throughout life.  Not everyone born into the Order is destined to protect the Lotus.”

“You said it’s a difficult journey,” Tommy said.  “What should we bring?”

“Akio and Maseo are working on packs for you.” Tatsu gave her husband and son a nod.  “Maseo will drive us to the base of the Kamikochi and we will hike up from there.”

“Thank you,” Oliver answered.

He wondered what would have happened had Maseo not tracked them into Japan.  Would the Crescent Order have mystically transported them to their compound? Clearly they never would have found it alone.  But from what Tatsu had said, the Order would have found them regardless. Oliver had to admit, he preferred having a guide for this particular journey.  Someone that he knew and trusted on their side to get them to the Crescent Order.

“So will we leave at first light or…” Tommy questioned.

“Immediately,” Tatsu said, taking a pack from Maseo and pushing it into Tommy’s waiting arms.  “The Order can only be found under the light of a crescent moon. So your timing here could not have been more appropriate.”

“How about that,” Tommy said, keeping his voice chipper.

Oliver wasn’t sure he was going to appreciate hiking around strange mountain sides and forests in the middle of the night.  His hand already itched for a bow and they hadn’t even left the house yet.

Akio held out a pack for Oliver and he took it, noting the sheepish look in the boy’s eye.  And then Akio produced something else, and Oliver smiled.

“I kinda took it up when we got here,” he said, offering Oliver a bow and quiver of arrows.  “I guess both you and Felicity had a bit of an impact on me during those months.” Akio huffed a laugh.  “Although I’m a lot better at the computer side than I’ll ever be with this.”

Oliver took the bow and turned it over in his hand, getting a feel for its weight.  Lighter and more compact than what he was used to, but it felt infinitely better than the gun holstered at his hip.  

“I’m so glad your father thought to keep an eye out for my passport.”  Oliver extended his hand to Akio again, and the boy took it, shaking firmly.

“I missed you too,” Akio said.

“I’ll bring it back to you.  And maybe we can catch up more, once this is all out of the way?”

Akio nodded. 

“Everyone ready?” Maseo asked, grabbing the keys for the car and heading for the door.

Oliver wasn’t sure he was ready for the journey that lay ahead of them, but he didn’t know that a better time existed to get his friend back.  Tommy deserved to be rid of the bloodlust. Even the Crescent Order could see that there was nothing of Malcolm in his son. They exited the house single file and loaded into the car, with their packs and Akio’s bow stowed in the trunk.  It was time to heal Tommy in a way that only the Crescent Order could, so that Oliver could help his friend overcome the aftermath of everything else. But this at least, was the first step.

\---

Tommy used to like hiking, he really did. A couple summers back, right after his training at ARGUS had shifted from weights and treadmills to actual hand to hand combat, he had taken a week off. He wanted to do something different with Laurel, wanted to take her somewhere outside the city. So in a spur of the moment decision they went on a day trip hiking the trails of the nearest park. He loved the air, he loved being out in such an open place. And he loved being there with Laurel, even if he hadn’t added the word love in for a long time after.

This was nothing like hiking with Laurel. In fact after this damned trip if he never saw another hiking trail again, it would be too damn soon.

“You okay?” Oliver had slowed his pace to walk closer to him. Tatsu and Nyssa were several paces ahead, and he couldn’t be sure, but it almost seemed like they were challenging each other.

“Oh yeah I feel great,” he quipped, still trying to shake the memories that swam in his mind. The lives he had taken. He wasn’t immune to the weight they carried. He felt it every day. He knew that without them the bloodlust would have overtaken him and turned him into some kind of monster. But that didn’t mean he wanted their deaths on replay in his mind. “Just peachy.”

Oliver didn’t call him out on his obvious lie, to which Tommy was grateful. “He did something to you back there, you looked… nevermind.”

“It’s hard to explain what it felt like,” he said. Because how could he explain the feeling of each of those moments being forced to the surface. Each time he took a life, the bloodlust had been peaking. He had been there for each of them, but never felt present. He couldn’t say that anymore. “I’m just glad this will be over soon.”

“If I ask you something will you tell me the truth?”

He hated when someone asked a question like that. He knew whatever Ollie was about to say wouldn’t be something he wanted to tell the truth about. But it’s not like he could say no.

“Sure.”

Oliver watched him closely for a long moment. And for a second Tommy thought the question would get swallowed up by the night air. But then his friend lowered his gaze and spoke. “Would we have come here if you knew what the second option was before hand?”

He felt the word sit in his throat, heavy and acidic as it did. Would he have went on this mission, dragged Oliver with him, if he had known it might end in his death? He wanted the answer to be no. He wanted to be able to say it with all the confidence in the world. But he knew the truth as dark and horrible as it was. And with the moonlight glinting off of Oliver’s face, Tommy could tell his best friend knew it too.

“Dammit Tommy,” he hissed. “Do you really care that little about yourself?”

“Don’t give me that,” he shook his head. “Don’t stand here and act like if the roles were reversed, if it meant keeping me and Felicity and Thea safe, that you wouldn’t make the exact same choice. Because I know that’s a lie.”

“I know what it’s like Tommy,” he said, keeping his voice even. “I know what taking a life can do to you. And I know better than anyone that voice in your head that tells you the rest of the world would be better off without you in it. But it’s bullshit. It’s guilt and it’s pain. But it’s not real. And I can’t… I don’t want to live in a world without you in it.”

“Oliver--”

“Just don’t close yourself off after this okay?” he gave him a pointed look as they pressed forward. “Keep talking to me, and Felicity. Keep talking to Laurel. We won’t be okay if you go away again.”

“I got it,” Tommy said giving him a grin. After a beat Tommy couldn’t help but laugh. “They really came out of the shadows like mist.”

“I’ve been trying to forget that part,” Ollie rolled his eyes. “Really not sure how to explain this to Felicity.”

“She’s just gonna be pissed we went on a fantasy level quest and left her at home with the crime fighting,” he said, then with a sobered look, he sighed. “I’ve been thinking about the company.”

He hadn’t given it that much thought, not really. But when that guy had pulled his father’s death to the surface, when he saw Malcolm’s face go ghost white at the bullet, something had clicked for him.

His father ended lives that night. He had intended on so many more, all in the name of Tommy’s mother. And Tommy didn’t want Merlyn Global to die out because of the blackness of those actions. If his father’s company would end, Tommy wanted it to be because he took everything left in it and funneled it towards something good, something noble. 

“That was quick.”

“I still have to talk to Thea about it,” he said, knowing their sister would agree with turning it into a force for good. “But I want to make it into something good. Something better.”

“I’ll help anyway I can.”

“I appreciate it, but we both know your business sense sucks Ollie.”

“Ow.”

“I’m being honest,” he joked with a smile. “But thank you. Not just for that, but for coming. I know you have a lot on your plate right now and you still came.”

“Well I figured I owed you.”

“Oh if you’re referring to our tussle with the Russian mob, yeah no you still owe me for that.”

Tatsu and Nyssa had stopped in front of them. For a moment he thought more tension had flowed between them, maybe he and Oliver would have to stop them from killing each other. And he really didn’t want to try and come between Nyssa and her blades. 

But then he saw it, the small clearing in front of them. A small canopy of  vines covered the gazebo, laticing through the slots of wood. It looked like a peaceful place, somewhere to go to clear your mind, to cleanse your soul. 

“Okay so how do we get our friends to come back?” 

Tommy’s words seemed to trigger the shadows around them, as they shifted and took the shape of men. Some they had seen at the Yamashiro's home. But more gathered. And while Tommy had every confidence that Tatsu wouldn’t lead them straight to their deaths, he couldn’t help the pinprick of fear at being outnumbered.

“We are not your friends, young Mr. Merlyn,” the old man from before spoke as he stepped closer to them. “Our stars have simply aligned in the right order to meet.”

“Yeah pretty simple,” he joked, looking over to Ollie and then back to the man. “You got a name we can call you or something?”

“I have lived many lives, and have gone by many names,” he said with a nod. “But you may call me Anadi.”

The name meant something. He could see it in the way Nyssa shifted, her back straightening as she bowed her head. 

“Anadi,” he echoed as he smiled. “Should we get this started?”

“Indeed I believe we should not waste more time.”

Oliver took a step forward, but the Order moved at the action. And what felt like an uneasy tension, turned to something else.

“I do not wish to offend your friend,” Anadi said to Tommy. “But the next step is one you will make alone. Your companions must wait here.”

“Anadi,” Tatsu spoke up, not fearing the actions of the rest of them. “They are not just companions, Oliver is as close to Tommy as blood. He needs someone to lean on, does he not?”

“The Lotus is not a spectacle,” he said but his eyes softened as he reached out to touch her cheek. “And I am not unkind.”

He looked at Tommy and then to Oliver, his gaze heavy with sorrow. “I fear you have many more ghosts surrounding your heart child. You do not wish to bring them to the surface while your friend deals with his own, do you?”

Oliver dropped his gaze, and understanding reverberated between them. Tommy wasn’t done reliving his past. He placed a hand on Oliver’s shoulder and gave him a heavy smile. “I’ll be fine. I promise.”

He took a step around Tatsu, facing Anadi as he spoke again. “Let’s get started.”

Anadi led him through the woods, the rest of the Crescent Order dispersed into mist and shadows, leaving them alone.

“Cool trick,” Tommy muttered as they walked towards an already burning fire. He hadn’t seen smoke before that moment.

“Once you acquaint yourself with shadows, it is not uncommon for them to aide in times of need,” he replied as he gestured to a spot next to the flames. “We have much to get through. It will not be easy, but you will be better for it.”

Tommy followed the man’s motions, sitting across the fire from him. “I’m ready. I don’t care how many of these lives I have to go through, how many of their deaths I have to relive. I want to cure this. I’m ready to cure this.”

Anadi gave a solemn nod. “You misunderstood my words earlier, you will not be reliving each of the lives you have claimed in the name of Lazarus.”

Tommy squinted at him in confusion. The man told Oliver he’d be dealing with his ghosts. He assumed that meant the people he had killed in his bloodlust.

“Then what are we doing?”

Anadi held out a bowl to him over the top of the flames, he gestured and Tommy took it quickly.

“Drink, and you will know.”

Was this the Lotus? The whole reason he had travelled to Nanda Parbat, to Ra’s al Ghul himself, was to rid his mind of the desire to take. And the only way he had found to ease it was to give in. But now he had the one way to stop it all? 

He drank down the contents in a few gulps. The sweet elixir coated his throat as he let his eyes slip closed. How soon would it work? How soon would he return to normal?

“Come on, we both know you’ll never be normal again,” a voice spoke. And Tommy’s eyes snapped open, surveying the space. 

Anadi still sat across from him. But to his right, on a rotted out tree stump sat another. A face that had been nothing but a phantom for the last two months.

“No,” he whispered to the figure. “You’re not real.”

“He may not be real,” Anadi said his eyes darting to the stump, to the person sitting there. “But he is very much here.”

“That’s not--”

“You should know by now, that anything is possible,” he replied. “I said you would not meet with the lives you took under your bloodlust. But for you to heal you must meet this one, and overcome it.”

Tommy wouldn’t meet his eyes, couldn’t meet his eyes. Two months of chasing this ghost away, only for it to meet him again on the day he could rid himself of it forever.

“Tommy,” he spoke with a tsk to his voice. “Is this anyway to treat your father?”

\---

_ Find us if you can.  Seek us if you dare. _

The taunt was working.  It was unravelling Felicity’s nerves a little more every time she read it.  The card stayed firmly in her grasp the entire drive to Helix, her fingers running along the embossed edges of the code.  What would this Brother Eye get from taunting her? Why make her work to find them? Why did they care about her at all? Was it just that they’d stolen her code and wanted her to know?

Questions assaulted her mind as she pulled into the lot outside Helix, and as she parked and turned the engine off, Felicity took a deep breath, hoping to cleanse herself of the anxiety that she was sure was written all over her face.  She didn’t want to alert anyone at Helix that something might be off with her. Alena knew the basics of what she was going through, but no one else needed to know her personal business.

She slung her bag over her shoulder as she made her way into the building, her phone pinging with an incoming text.

Felicity beamed at Oliver’s name on the screen.   _ Final leg of finding Tommy’s cure.  Will call when able. Xx _

Somehow, she wasn’t surprised that they had been lucky enough to come across the cure so quickly.  Oliver and Tommy, especially together, had a way of getting things done. And she couldn’t wait to hear all about it.  But beyond that, she was kind of sort of glad that Oliver was out of town for this. She knew how he worried about her, and she appreciated it.  But getting to the bottom of this Brother Eye mystery was quickly becoming a need, not a want. And the less Oliver knew about them taunting her and potentially tracking her, the better.

A throat cleared behind her and Felicity stopped abruptly, just a few feet short of the entrance of Helix.  She knew immediately who it was.  _ So close _ .

“Diggle!” She said brightly, turning to face him.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” he frowned.

She wasn’t sure how she’d missed him, except perhaps that she was so wrapped up in the Brother Eye mystery that she wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings.  Diggle was leaning against a waist-high stone wall that said Starling Medical Imaging- the defunct medical offices covering the top floors of the building where Helix now made its home.  His ankles were crossed, as were his arms. He looked like he’d been waiting there for a while.

“I haven’t,” Felicity lied.  She swallowed hard, not meeting his eyes.  “Okay, maybe I missed a check in or two. I’ve just been… busy.”

“Felicity,” Diggle said, pushing off the wall and closing the distance between them.  “I thought we agreed? I wouldn’t treat this like a babysitting gig as long as you stayed in touch.  With all the crazies running around this city, and Oliver not here…” He huffed a breath. “He’d have my head if anything happened to you while he was gone.”

She scrunched her nose, making a face.  “I know. I’m sorry. I really am! It’s been crazy with my mom here, and the hacker I’m tracking.  I tend to get tunnel vision when I can’t figure something out, and…” she stopped mid sentence at his frown.  “And I’m making excuses. I’m sorry Digg.”

He shrugged.  “I caught up with Sara last night, so I at least knew you were alive,” he offered her a wink.  “You probably should be more aware of your surroundings though.”

“Yeah,” she sighed.  “Still working on that.  It hasn’t quite been as ingrained into me as the rest of you.”

“You’re good though?” Diggle asked, glancing her over for any wounds or signs of distress.

Felicity nodded, a little too emphatically.  “I am. Cross my heart.” She made the gesture with her right index finger.

He gave her a curious look, and then his expression went stony.  “What happened?” he asked, as if reading her mind.

“N-nothing,” she stammered.

“Felicity,” he said sternly.  “I can’t keep you safe if you don’t tell me what’s going on.”

“Seriously Digg, it’s nothing.”  She waved her hand dismissively. “I impulsively went and saw the person I thought was behind the hacker thing yesterday.  But it was a dead end. He didn’t know anything about it.”

“You what?!”

“I know, okay?  I should have called you.  I just got worked up after Alena told me that she talked to him.  I confronted him at his office with plenty of witnesses around. He was genuinely surprised to see me.  It wasn’t him.”

Diggle blew out a long breath, and then met her gaze.  “And what if he is involved and just a good liar? Now you’re back on his radar more than you were before, because you’ve outed him.”  He paused, and then reached for her phone, setting it back to back with his.

“What are you doing?”

“GPS,” he huffed.  “If anything happens to you, I want to know where you are.  Oliver said you put this tech on our devices for when we’re out in the field.  So I’m just leveling the playing field. I’ll be right here whenever you’re ready to head home.”

“That’s not necessary--”

“I think it is,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest again.  “And I’m sure Tommy and Oliver would both agree with me. Should we find out?”

Felicity pouted.  “Not necessary,” she grumbled.  “I’ll be here til six. Then headed to the Foundry to train with Sara and Thea.”

Diggle nodded, handing her phone back to her.  Then he headed to his car, parked in the front row, facing the main door.  Felicity finished crossing the distance to the building and huffed a sigh before heading inside.  She really,  _ really _ didn’t need a babysitter.  Sure, she appreciated the gesture, but nothing was going to happen.  Myron wasn’t behind the hack, she was almost positive. And whoever was, was playing a not-so-friendly game of cat and mouse with her.

She should have told Diggle about the card, and the mystery man who had paid for her coffee.  But there was still  _ something _ holding her back from spilling the beans.  It was too closely tied to her past. There was too much she’d have to share, pain she’d have to unravel, to get to the root of why it was bothering her so much.  And she just wasn't ready for that yet.

The office was quiet when she entered, most of the people either gone for lunch or working out of the office.  It was one of the perks of Helix- with no set business hours, people came and went day and night, meaning the room was quiet most of the day, with just a handful of people working silently at their desks.  Only the sounds of keyboards clicking away could be heard in the room. It truly was one of Felicity’s happy places. Hackers in their natural habitat. Mostly.

Felicity sat at her favorite computer in the room- toward the back with clear sight-lines to the doors.  Clearly some of Oliver had rubbed off on her. But that particular corner was always quiet and there was a lightbulb out, making it feel smaller than it really was.  Felicity liked its quaintness.

She logged into the Helix network and then did a deep dive into Brother Eye.  There wasn’t much on the name. Just a few sparse articles on Hactivism that had been claimed by a group by that name.  She pulled them up anyway, and was surprised to see that all three were written by the Pennytown Gazette.

Hadn’t Alena told her that the first time she’d seen the code last week was out of Pennytown?  And now all three articles showing up on Brother Eye were out of the same place. Felicity didn’t believe in coincidences, but she did sense something pricking at the edge of her awareness.  This meant something. Whether a breadcrumb dropped by the group to get her on their trail, or just her due-diligence finally paying off, she wasn’t sure. But she had to look into it further.

Opening another window on her screen, Felicity backtraced the hack Alena had called her about, pinpointing the location within a two mile radius.  It was something. She opened a secure backdoor network to her computer in the Foundry and pulled up the code that had knocked her out of the city’s CCTV feed the other day.  When she overlayed the two it gave her nothing.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and Felicity pulled it out.  A text message from Alena. But the business card from the coffee shop was there too.  The code on the front in embossed ink still taunting her. The message on the back was clear, but the front.  It was her code, but there was something else in it that she hadn't added. Something that this  _ Brother Eye _ had put there for her.  Something that only she would recognize.

Another text from Alena.  Felicity put the business card on her keyboard, and opened the text thread.

_ Delivery here for you.  That sweet boyfriend of yours is sending flowers now? _

That didn’t sound like Oliver.  Felicity frowned. Not that he wouldn’t, but he was kind of otherwise occupied halfway around the world.

_ I sent the delivery guy down with them _ , the second message from her read.

Sure enough, a large bouquet of flowers was making its way over to her.  Felicity quickly typed the code from the card into the computer and overlaid that with the other two.  The message was undeniable, if still a little confusing.

_ Missed you,  _ written over and over again.  The cursor blinked at the end of the line, beckoning her.

Missed you.  But who? And why?

“Ghost fox goddess?”

Felicity turned to find a bouquet of flowers staring her in the face.  But that voice. A chill went up her spine. He’d helped her come up with the name.  He said they were three of his favorite qualities about her. She got into networks like a ghost, stalking her prey like a stealthy fox.  And the goddess part? Well that had little to do with her hacking abilities. But the tone he used now was full of weight and longing. It couldn’t be.  It really, truly couldn’t be him.

The flowers lowered and then, there he was.  Cooper Seldon.

“But you’re…” she began, fear and sadness swirling in her mind and stomach like a sick cocktail of anxiety.

“Guess I’m the ghost now,” he said, a quick smirk lighting his face.

“What are you… doing here?”

“I thought you’d have figured it out by now,” he said, putting the flowers down on her desk.  He gestured to the message on the screen. “I missed you.”

“Cooper…”  Her mind wasn’t working enough to form coherent thought, let alone speech.  She wanted to get Diggle, or find somewhere more populated. But Cooper, being here.  He was the one behind all this.

“Can we talk?” he asked.

Felicity shook her head.  “I… I actually was just on my way out.”

“For coffee?” he asked with a grin.  “Didn’t we do that already though?”

She swallowed hard.  “I don’t think this is a good idea.  I’ve got--”

Cooper’s smile hardened.  “See?” he said, keeping his tone light.  “That might have sounded like a request,” he pulled a gun from behind his back and trained it on her.  “But it really wasn’t.” He pulled Felicity to her feet. “Put your purse and phone in the drawer,” he said, motioning toward the cabinet under the desk.

Felicity didn’t move.  She couldn’t. Because this was Cooper.  Her first love, who had taken the blame for the Department of Education hack.  Cooper who had taken his own life and left her with no one and nothing at MIT. Except that he hadn’t?  It was too much to process.

He gripped her arm tightly, twisting until she complied.  “We’ve got to go, babe,” he said with mock lightness. “I’ve got a lot of friends that want to meet you.  Besides, you don't want anything to happen to your coworkers over there do you?” he gestured to the few people milling around the office.  “Just stay quiet and do as I say, and it will all be okay.”

Her heart raced in her chest as Felicity complied, stowing the bag and phone in the drawer.  She hit a series of numbers on her phone before she stowed it. A failsafe she’d installed to trip an alarm at the Foundry.  Diggle would be getting an alert now. He wouldn’t know what was wrong, but hopefully it would be enough to get them on her trail.  Because Cooper Seldon being alive changed everything. And for once, Felicity couldn’t say exactly what it meant for her. But she had a sinking feeling that whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

Cooper ushered her out the back fire door that clearly said it was alarmed.  But nothing happened. He would have planned for that, she realized. He moved them down a long hallway and out into an alley at the back of the building.  A van waited there, it’s sliding door open. Cooper pushed her inside and climbed in after her.

“A little aggressive for a reunion, don’t you think?” Felicity asked, finally finding her voice as the van pulled away. 

Cooper shrugged.  “Seemed like you weren't getting the hint,” he said tucking the gun away.  “And we’re on a timetable here.” Whatever Cooper wanted with her, she was about to find out.  Whether she wanted to or not.

\---


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovelies,
> 
> Are you ready for another chapter of this wonderful tale... Well I'm about to give you just that. Quick thing though we are also entering the first of our mini breaks from posting. Cassie will be out of town the next couple weeks. And between work and some real life stress and anxiety issues I'm dealing with, I think it would be a good time to not add more stress to me. 
> 
> Don't worry we are still chugging away on this story and while we won't be posting again until the 6th, I will however be over on my tumblr @foreverfelicityqueen. You can always drop by, ask me questions, try and distract me from writing. It's a fun time.
> 
> Anyway on to the chapter.
> 
> Love,  
> Kayla

He had always hated waiting, but it got worse in his five away. Waiting meant losing time, it meant things could shift in an instant, and he couldn’t fix something if things went wrong.

Tommy had been gone for about twenty minutes by then, and Oliver couldn’t help the anxiety that coiled in him.

Tatsu walked to him, a look of understanding on her face. He missed that about her. How even when things had been chaotic in Hong Kong, she seemed to be a voice of reason. 

“So can you fade into misty shadows too?” he asked with a small grin.

“That is a trick that takes generations to master,” she returned the smile. “Just because they are my kin, does not mean we share traits.”

“That is something I can understand.” He was thinking of his own father, of the legacy Robert had left behind. He wasn’t his father’s son in that respect. The company couldn’t be his future, he didn’t want that. 

Oliver barely stifled the yawn as it hit. 

“You should sit,” she said, handing him a canteen of water. “This could take some time.”

“Yeah,” he said as he played with the cap. “I wish I could do more to help.”

“Anadi knows what is the right path to choose. Your friend is not the first to seek the help of the Lotus, to rid themselves of what Ra’s al Ghul has brought to their life.”

“You speak of my father as if you know him,” Nyssa sat against a stone wall, but her gaze was trained on them both. 

“I know of the way he leads, that is enough for me.”

“He is still my father, so you should take care of how you speak.” 

Tatsu moved, and for a split second Oliver thought she might say something more on the matter. But instead she headed away from them.

“I shall check the perimeter,” she said before disappearing into the tree line. 

The silence pulsed through the air between them. Normally he would love the quiet, he did some of his best thinking when things were still. But with everything going on back home, and Tommy dealing with all of this on his own, Oliver needed something else to occupy his mind.

“Why did you do it?” he asked as he pushed himself off the tree he had been leaning against. 

She shot her gaze to him, her eyes narrowing at the intrusion of his words no doubt. “To which thing are you referring?”

He rolled his eyes. “You know what I’m talking about. Why help Tommy? You’re duty bound to the League, and he made it clear that he didn’t give himself over to your ways. So why help him now?”

“As I said before I owed him a debt.”

“No, you paid that debt when you saved him with the Lazarus pit,” he shook his head. “You didn’t have to help him after. You didn’t have to let him stay with the League, or search the globe for this place. So why did you do it?”

She glared his way. But the silence must have been heavy to her too, because she sighed as she spoke once more. “Has Sara told you how we met?”

“She has not.”

“When I found her all those years ago, she was clinging to life in the middle of the water,” Nyssa said and Oliver watched as her eyes drifted off with her words. “I had her body brought aboard my vessel, because I did not know what else to do. And for a few moments I was resolute in the notion that she had perished long before we happened upon her.”

Oliver flashed back to the last time he had seen her that day, slipping out of his fingers once more. How long after that until Nyssa had found her? Hours? Days? How had she survived?

“I will never forget the first breath she took in my presence,” she said, cutting off his thoughts. “I do not think I had known true relief before then.”

“So you’re helping Tommy because of her?”

“Sara learned the ways of the League faster than anyone I have ever known,” she replied. “But she never fell into line like the others. There was always something more to her, something greater than the League. She may have killed in the name of the Demon’s head, but Sara remained her own person the entire time she was with us. I feel that that is why I love her so much.” She froze, like she had said too much, but straightened herself to continue. “That is why I agreed to help Tommy. Because he was not meant for the League. I ruined one person’s life with my father’s ways. I did not wish to have that happen a second time.”

“I doubt Sara would agree with that assessment,” he said, clearing his throat.

“I despise you,” she looked at him, though no real malice was behind her eyes. “What you did, how your actions brought Sara to the worst parts of this world, I wish you never find peace in that.”

“I know what pain I caused Sara and her family. And I know I have to live with it,” he paused then added. “But I should say thank you.”

“You should not.” She looked at him like he had tried to hand her something vile

“You saved Sara. You saved Tommy,” he shrugged. “And even though it brought a lot of strain to him, I would rather have him here than the alternative.”

“Well you are a fool.”

“Maybe Sara and Tommy aren’t the only ones whose destiny lies away from the shadows of the League,” he said, letting the words slip quietly between them.

Nyssa scoffed. “I am the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul, heir to the demon. What you speak is treason for me to even consider.”

“Sara got out.”

“Sara was released from the League by my hand,” she said, a simmering rage under her words. “And you will never know the price I had to meet for my father to allow me to hold true to my word. You believe a man like him would then let his own blood walk from the shadows?”

“I think if you love Sara as much as you say, then you would do anything to be with her.” Maybe he was overstepping, but he cared about Sara and he didn’t want to see her hurt. 

“I took Sara into my heart, and I loved her with all my soul,” Nyssa pushed herself off the wall and stepped into his space. “So you have no right to question my devotion to her.”

“You’re right,” he said holding his hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry.”

“I think I need to clear my head,” she stepped back. 

He watched her go, and Oliver had to shake his head. Why had he done that? Why get himself wrapped up in other people’s relationships? Especially when he was keeping things from Felicity. 

_ It wasn’t the same.  _ He told himself. His paranoia aside, keeping quiet on Slade was only until he got more information. He couldn’t tell her everything until he knew everything. But even as he thought it, he knew that was a bullshit reason. 

He pulled his phone out to text her an update.   _ Final leg of finding Tommy’s cure.  Will call when able. Xx _

He wanted to tell her more, to tell her everything. But he would wait until Tommy finished up with the Order to call, and he’d wait until he got back to tell her the rest. No more secrets. He couldn’t hold them in much longer.

“Heavy thoughts?” Tatsu said as she found him once more.

“That obvious?”

“Only to someone who has seen you struggle through them,” she let her gaze scan the area. “Where is your other companion?”

He shrugged. “I might have crossed a line.”

“Well you have that effect on some.”

“Ha, nice,” he couldn’t help but laugh. “I never got to thank you. You could have told Maseo no, when he brought me home that day.”

“We both know Amanda Waller would not have let him.”

“Still, thank you.”

“And thank you,” she said with a smile. “You were good to Akio, you protected him, kept him safe. If you ever have children, they will be blessed to have you in their life.”

He let the warmth of those words fill him. He would wait a while longer before he told Tatsu about William. But he hoped one day he could introduce his son to the Yamashiro’s. He was sure Akio would get a kick out of that.

Oliver wanted to shift the conversation, he didn’t know how long he could talk about family without slipping. But before he could change the topic his phone began to buzz like crazy.

He pulled it from his pocket, hitting a dozen buttons before it stopped. 

A map of the city grid popped up, and a red, flashing dot where Verdant should be. What the hell?

He dialed Felicity first, but her phone just rang and rang until her voicemail clicked over. Her phone never went to voicemail. It was almost always right next to her. Maybe she’d ignore it for a few rings, but never this long.

He cancelled the call before the message tone could sound and dialed John next. Waiting as it rang twice before his friend answered.

“Figured I’d get a call from Felicity first not you,” John said in greeting. 

“What the hell is going on?” he couldn’t help the spike of panic in his veins, or the flash of Slade’s face in his mind. 

“I have no clue yet,” he replied and Oliver could hear the gearshift. “Some alert at the club.”

“The club or what’s below the club?”

“Oliver, I don’t know. I got the alert when you did,” he could hear Digg move the phone around. “Look I’ll go and check it out. I’ll give you a call when I know what’s going on.”

“What about Felicity?”

“What about her?”

“I tried calling her and her phone rang until I got her voicemail,” he said, the nerves filling his voice. “Was she at the Foundry?”

“I just left her at Helix, not ten minutes ago,” John assured. “Maybe she’s in the middle of some code?”

“And she didn’t hear her phone?”

“Oliver I literally just checked on her,” he said as calming as he could. “She’s fine. I’ll check out the alarm, see what tripped it up, and then call her myself. Or even better I’ll head back to Helix. But don’t worry about this.”

“John--”

“I will call you when I know what’s going on.”

He hung up before Oliver could stop him. Something didn’t feel right about this. Felicity had set up the alarms at the Foundry. If one started going off like crazy, she would know right? And if she knew she’d be on her phone. But then why didn’t she answer when he called?

“Is everything alright, Oliver?”

“I don’t know,” he said, trying to swallow down his fears. He needed everything to be okay. He needed Felicity to be okay. But he couldn’t do anything from Japan. So instead he took a deep breath. He would have to do the one thing he had been doing more of the night. He’s have to wait.

\---

He couldn’t bring himself to look at Malcolm, so Tommy kept his eyes trained on Anadi, even as Malcolm spoke.

“I raised you better than this,” his father said flatly.  “Look at me when I’m speaking to you, Son.”

Rage burned in Tommy’s chest.  How? How had the elixir conjured such a vision?  No, it wasn’t a vision.  _ He may not be real, but he is very much here. _   Anadi’s words reverberated through him again.  Not real, Tommy reminded himself. This wasn’t real.

Finally, his gaze tore away from the old man and landed on his father.  Bile rose in Tommy’s throat at the sight of him, whole and smirking, like countless times he’d seen him before.  It wasn’t real.  _ But he is very much here _ .  Yes, Malcolm had been lurking in Tommy’s mind for months, eating away at his soul and sanity.

“Raised me?” Tommy scoffed in reply to his father’s words.  If he needed to confront Malcolm to put this bloodlust and the Pit’s effects behind him, then so be it.  “You barely noticed me when I needed raising. Moira and Robert Queen raised me.”

“They stole so much from me,” Malcolm said, standing and moving closer.  “You. Thea.”

“They protected me and Thea from you.  Going to live with them was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.”

“Thomas,” his father said, mockingly putting a hand to his heart.  “You wound me.”

_ This isn’t real _ , Tommy reminded himself again.  Tears stung at the corners of his eyes.  If this was his chance to move on, then Tommy had plenty of things he needed to say.

“Do you remember the day you brought me to the alley where they killed her?” Tommy asked, his voice quiet.  “You played me the recording of her… you made me listen to the anguish in her voice as the life drained from her.  As she laid there dying.”

“I thought it would make you see the necessity of my vision for the Glades.  There was no way to save that place, Tommy. It had to be cleansed.”

Tommy shook his head, standing and moving to face his father.  He remembered every word his mother had spoken on that recording, even though he’d only heard it once.  She had been so scared, so sure of her own death.

“You didn’t cleanse it though,” he answered.  “We stopped you. Felicity and Oliver and the whole team.  We stopped you from destroying the Glades. And do you remember what happened after that?”

The flames of the fire danced around them, swirling into a tornado of an inferno.  Vertigo pulled at Tommy, but he kept his feet planted firmly on the ground. And as quickly as the fire had built up around them, it receded.  Tommy was no longer in the woods, but on the top of a building. Malcolm was several paces away from him, and a figure was splayed out on the ground.  A woman, but Tommy didn’t have time to figure out who it was.  

The  _ thwunk thwunk thwunk  _ of an approaching helicopter pulled Tommy’s eyes skyward.  He held a hand up, shielding his eyes from the blinding rays reflecting off the metallic surface of the helicopter.  Malcolm’s escape was imminent. Tommy couldn't let him go. Wouldn't let his father get away with this the way he’d gotten away with countless other atrocities.

It felt like a dream.  So much of that day was still a blur for Tommy.  The exact events lost to the haze of the Lazarus Pit and blood loss from his injuries.

_ “Oh god, Malcolm.  I don’t want to die alone.” _

His mother’s voice boomed through the memory as if invisible speakers were imbedded in the sky above the building.  Tommy knew that was it, the message from his mother had been what had finally pushed Malcolm over the edge. He remembered wondering how many hundreds of times his father had listened to it.  Had it slowly driven him insane, or had the grief and the voicemail worked hand in hand to immediately plummet him headlong into a delusion from which it was impossible to recover?

Not that it mattered, not really.  What his father had done was unforgivable.  It was a long con so irreparable that Tommy wasn’t sure how or when Starling would ever heal.

“This is a lesson in futility, Son,” Malcolm said, pulling Tommy’s focus back to his father.  

And something about the words felt like deja-vu.  Had Malcolm said those words to him, those long two months ago on the rooftop?  Tommy glanced around again, remembering the woman that was on the roof with him.   _ Lyla _ .  She’d had his back, shooting at Malcolm while Tommy had taken cover.

He heard them now, the sound of bullets being fired, over the ever-present swooping noise of the helicopter’s blades.  A click of an empty gun being fired and Tommy glanced to his left, where Lyla was reloading her weapon.  

“Someone has to pay for what they did to her,” Malcolm said.  Tommy stood, facing his father in this memory dream.  

“That’s it,” Tommy said, remembering finally, what he’d wanted to say to his father.  “We stopped you from destroying the Glades.” The words started quietly, to himself, and then grew louder as he met his father’s gaze.  “We stopped you and you wouldn’t let that be the end.”

“It’s too late for that,” Malcolm said, but he wasn’t looking at Tommy anymore.  He was staring at the spot where Tommy had been hiding behind the air vent that day on the roof.  It was like Tommy was inside a movie, watching the events pass him by. “Someone has to pay for what they did to her,” Malcolm repeated again, the memory catching back up to them all at once.  “And if it won’t be the Glades, then it will damn well be the rest of the city.”

The entire rooftop lurched to the side, the ear splitting screech of metal against metal as the Markov device sprang to life in the basement.

“You were willing to die,” Tommy said, righting himself as he moved toward his father.  “To take me and half of downtown down with you, for some stupid version of vengeance that you told yourself you needed.”

Tommy’s heart lurched in his chest at the memory.  His father so broken and so defeated, so twisted and ugly and raw.  He swallowed hard, looking away.

“Please, don’t do this,” his voice came.  But it wasn’t from Tommy. Not the version of him that was witnessing the memory.  It was from the two months younger version of himself that was seeing the truth of the depth of his father’s disturbed mind for the first time.

In a blink, he was back in that body, his heart ripping itself apart in his chest as he watched his father’s demise.  A weight pulled at his hands, and Tommy glanced down, watching as his fingers reloaded the gun in his hand. The memory sped up, and Tommy watched as Malcolm aimed for Lyla, shooting at the same instant that Tommy did.  A bullet sank into his father’s thigh, but it wasn’t enough to stop him. Malcolm adjusted his target, and Tommy stared down the barrel of his father’s gun- as they both pulled their triggers in the same instant.

Tommy felt the impact, as if he’d been shot again, straight through the stomach.  But it was worse this time. Now, he didn’t have the adrenaline coursing through his veins the way he had on the roof.  Now, the raw emotion of everything that had transpired that day knocked Tommy to his knees. He watched his father disappear, falling through the open skylight into the elevator shaft.  And Tommy’s eyes fell closed at the sight. He’d killed him. Shot his father through the chest and killed him.

“You ruined it!” Malcolm screamed, snapping him back.  Not the Malcolm from the memory, but the spectre, the ghost that had been haunting Tommy these last two months.  The sound of the helicopter faded away and his father gripped him by the shirt, hauling Tommy back to his feet. “You ruined  _ everything _ !”

A sob erupted from Tommy’s throat and he staggered forward, his father still clinging to him.

“Didn’t she deserve justice?  Didn’t she deserve to be avenged?!”  Malcolm’s face was so close, spittle landing on Tommy’s cheeks as he screamed.  But Malcolm didn’t slow. And Tommy didn’t fight.

“Not like that,” Tommy said quietly.  “Never at the expense of all those lives.”  Pain and sadness leeched all of his strength.  He had nothing left; no anger left at his father, no grief for the man he’d once called  _ Dad _ .  “You didn’t have to do that,” Tommy said, sobs choking his words.  “You… you left me no choice.”

“I would have killed you,” Malcolm spat.  “You and your partner. I would have burned the city to the ground.  And moved on to the next one.”

“I know,” Tommy gasped, his words barely audible.  

Malcolm shoved Tommy to the ground like a discarded toy.  “Nothing would have ever been enough,” his father said, his voice growing quiet and collected.  And then there was nothing but the hushed whisper of wind through the trees and the pop and crackle of a distant fire.

The earth under Tommy’s hands and feet shifted, no longer feeling like concrete and rubble.  He blinked down at the ground, finding damp, dew covered foliage and cool earth. He could smell the fire, feel its warmth beside him.  His body, shuddered against the cold, pre-dawn air, but the pain from the bullet wound was gone.  

Pushing up onto his knees, Tommy lifted his shirt, finding the faint scar from where his father had shot him in the stomach.  The Lazarus Pit had sealed the wound in a matter of moments that day two months ago. And where the skin had knit itself back together leaving the smallest of scars, the wound to his mind had been extensive.  A fissure that he hadn’t been able to close, because he hadn’t known the extent of the damage done that day.

Tommy pulled his shirt back down over his stomach and glanced around the circle.  Anadi sat, lit by the firelight, eyes closed serenely, face composed and relaxed. Tommy cleared his throat, getting to his feet.

“The Lotus has shown you many things,” Anadi said, standing and moving to face him.  “And there are some that would call it magic, but do not misunderstand its intent.” The man pressed a hand to Tommy’s temple.  “The bloodlust will no longer call to your soul. But overcoming the darkness placed inside you by your father’s venomous actions will be a lifelong journey.”  He paused, releasing Tommy’s head, but taking his arm instead.  

Anadi led him along back through the trees, where in the distance, the sun was beginning to rise, and he could see the faint outlines of the people he’d left at the camp.  “And that journey is not one that can be made alone. It requires patience and candor. And most of all, it requires those that would sacrifice much to sojourn the long and arduous way.”

Tommy released a shuddering breath, the ordeal taking more of his strength than he would have imagined.  His limbs felt weary and sluggish, like he’d just run a half marathon, or spent the day on the mats at the ARGUS training facility.  But his mind was clear in a way that it hadn’t been for a long time. And when he turned his attention inward, Tommy smiled at the realization that the only voice he found inside his mind, was his own.

\---

She had so many questions. How’s and why’s filled her so much she felt like crying, as he pushed her into the back of a dark van. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at that. How more cliched of a kidnapping could she get? 

She tried to count the turns as they moved along, but her arm throbbed from where Cooper grabbed her, and she couldn’t stop her mind from racing. 

She wanted to ask it. It was the only thing she could focus on as they moved through the streets. But she couldn’t get her throat to form around the words. She couldn’t meet his eyes either. So many questions and the only one who could answer them was the one person she feared to talk to most.

How long had they been driving anyway? She should have been counting. She wasn’t equipped for this. If the roles were reversed Oliver would have escaped by then, and hell even Tommy would have at least gotten a few good punches in. But all she could do was stare at her hands and wonder to herself. How?

“You’re awfully quiet,” Cooper said as the car pitched over a pothole. She had to place her hands to her sides to keep from falling over, or falling into him. “I don’t think you were ever this quiet the whole time we were at MIT together. Those were the days weren’t they?”

So many emotions flowed along with the questions. The grief that had driven her so far away from who they had been, the guilt she felt when he took the fall for her, and the loneliness that had settled after she heard the news of his death. All of those were rampant in her. But the one she latched on to, the one that pulled at her and filled every corner of her, was anger. 

“Why the hell am I here?” she spat out, still refusing to look at him, to give him the satisfaction of her gaze. 

“We’ll get to that,” he said, and she hated the small part of her that wanted to look at him. 

She saw the barrel of the gun as the sun hit it. And she wondered for a fraction of a second if she could have taken it had she been properly trained. Maybe she should have let Sara and Thea start these lessons weeks ago. Hindsight and all.

“You’re still so beautiful,” she watched his hand reach out and she moved just as quick and slapped him away.

“Don’t touch me,” she replied, turning to glare at him. “Don’t act like this is some great reunion.”

The van pulled to a stop, and whoever was driving cleared their throat.

“Give us a minute,” Cooper said, and within seconds they were alone. “I know you have questions. I know you want to hate me for leaving you. But I didn’t have a choice, babe.”

His hand went to her cheek, and this time she didn’t have enough warning to stop him, he cupped her face with all the tenderness she remembered. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t painfully aware of the gun in his other hand.

“How?” she let the word slip out as tears rolled down her face. She hated feeling like this. Abandoned and helpless. Her father made her feel like this, Cooper helped fuel it. “You died. They told me you had--”

“That I commited suicide?” he sneered. “I thought you of all people would look into a bullshit story like that. But you and Myron, you just moved on with your lives.”

“Don’t.” she shook her head. “We lost you, we mourned you. You don’t get to sit there and act like we didn’t do enough for you.”

“And yet I was the one in prison for your virus,” he said, and she flinched back from him. She didn’t want to be near him with that gun. She wanted out of this van. It felt like the walls were getting smaller. 

“I didn’t ask you to do that,” she felt her breaths come in short bursts. “I was going to tell them the truth. You wouldn’t let me.”

“Because I was protecting you,” he shook his head as he turned and pushed the door open.

Felicity didn’t think as she jumped for the gap, hoping maybe, just maybe she’d have enough momentum to get far enough away.

She sprinted across the parking garage, more than grateful with herself for picking flats that morning. She had to get to a message to Digg or Sara. She would take a message to Moira Queen at this point. Anything to get her away from…

A pair of arms grabbed her from behind, and pulled her tight into his chest.

“Let me go,” she pleaded. “Please Coop, just let me go.”

“I really can’t do that,” he whispered into her ear. “I promise you, we’re going to do amazing things together,” he kissed her hair as he pulled something from his pocket. Felicity felt as the needle slide into her arm. “But I need you to listen first.”

She fought against it, she pulled herself from his embrace, and launched a fist at the side of his face. But when he came back into her field of vision everything blurred, and she felt herself fall.

When she woke, her face pressed against torn and tattered leather. She could smell a hint of smoke and ash that clung to the air around her, only drowned out every few seconds by the stench of standing water. 

“Good,” she heard the voice through a haze of whatever drug he’d stabbed her with. “You’re finally awake.”

She forced her eyes to open, even though they protected the action. She pushed herself up to survey her surroundings. An office? This didn’t make any sense?

“That was some punch,” he said grinning down at her. If she had any strength left she’d hit him again. “I wonder where you picked up something like that?”

“I hope you enjoy being disappointed,” she muttered as she glared his way. At least she hoped it was a glare. Everything in her felt ten times heavier than it should have. Side effects. Hopefully it was the only one. 

“It didn’t have to be like this babe,” he said, as he shook his head. “You didn’t have to run. But I get it.”

“Oh really you understand that kidnapping your ex girlfriend is kind of a crappy way to get her attention?”

“To be fair,” he moved to the seat opposite her. “I have been trying to get your attention for days. Months really. But you haven’t noticed. And honestly Felicity, I’m a little hurt.”

“This isn’t you,” she shook her head. “You were a good person, Coop. You wanted to do good in the world. What happened to you?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“We’ll get there. But first,” he sighed, then grabbed for something behind him, a folder. “Why don’t I answer your first question?”

“I don’t want excuses.”

“The NSA needed a hacker with my skill set,” he brushed past her words with a staggering intake of breath. “And I really needed to not be in prison for the rest of my life, so I agreed to them faking my death.”

The grief hit her again. Even this many years later, and with him sitting right there,  she still couldn’t talk about Cooper’s death without the pain welling up inside her. But grief had a companion. When it came this time, it intertwined with her anger and Felicity barely contained it.

“You let me believe you were dead for some deal with the NSA?” she practically spat the words at him. “I almost didn’t finish school because of that. I cried in my room for weeks. I didn’t eat, I didn’t go to class. I broke down every single thing about myself, and had to rebuild from the ground up. Because I loved you, and I thought I was the reason you were dead.”

To his credit Cooper didn’t look up at her, his head hung low as he spoke. “I know. I love you too.”

“Bullshit,” she wanted to stop feeling like lead had settled into her veins, if only so she could punch him again. “If you love me, if you ever loved me, you would have found me whenever your little  _ deal  _ was over.”

“I did find you,” he said as he looked at her again. “When I finished what they needed from me, I came to find you. I thought you and me, we could start again. Only better.  Because, well, the NSA faked my death certificate, the money they paid me was pretty real. You know what I found when I came looking for you?”

She didn’t respond as he his eyes turned cold.

“A corporate drone, jumping from one Starling City company to another,” he said with a shake of his head. “Did MG offer you more money, or was it Merlyn Jr. who made you skip out on QC?”

“I don’t have to dignify my choices to you.”

“You’re right you don’t. I’m sorry,” he said opening the folder still in his hand. “But see I kept an eye on you anyway. I couldn’t let you go that easily. And you know what I found?”

“Clearly not therapy.”

“I have missed you,” he gave her a grin. “Whatever I did to get you here, that wasn’t a lie. So why don’t you ask me again.”

She twisted her face in confusion. She didn’t know what he…

“Ask me, why I brought you here.”

She swallowed hard, the drug had cleared from her mind, still clinging to her limbs. But she looked around her and it clicked where she was. It wasn’t, it couldn’t be.

“Don’t worry,” he said reaching over to smooth down her hair. “This is a structurally sound part of the building. I would never endanger your life like that.”

“No,” she felt the bile rise in her throat. Merlyn Global, or at least the burned carcass of it. That’s why smoke and ash hung in the air, why he drugged her as he brought her in. He wanted this dramatic reveal.

“What am I doing here, Coop?”

But even before he placed the folder on her lap she had the idea. There had always been this phantom thought in the back of her head. Malcolm told her he had auctioned off a set of the plans for the Markov device. For his own amusement, he had said. But she hoped, like so many things, it had been a lie. It wasn’t though. She knew that now.

“I’m so sorry I ever doubted who you were,” he said meeting her eye. “As soon as I found these plans, I knew it was you. I knew this was you.”

“You’ve got it all wrong.”

“I don’t think I do,” Cooper stood, leaning his hands into the back of his chair. “We’re gonna build this, together. And once we do, you’ll see exactly why we’ve always worked better together, babe. We’ll be a team again.”

She felt like she’d be sick. Her worst fears boiling together and coming back to haunt her once more. She had done this. By helping Merlyn, by not realizing what the Markov device was long before all the pieces fit together. She had brought down several buildings in downtown, and now? Because of her code, of letting Cooper take the fall, more people were in danger. And she didn’t know how she could stop any of it.

\---


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! We're back! Thanks for your patience on our little break... we've got a ton in store for you, so we hope you're ready.
> 
> Enjoy!  
> Cassie

Anxiety surged in Oliver’s veins, followed closely by adrenaline.  Half a world away from his life in Starling and he was helpless to whatever was going on there.  Minutes ticked by agonizingly slow as Oliver paced back and forth across the expanse, waiting for a phone call.  Irritation welled within him. Because somewhere between being shipwrecked and coming back home last year, he’d become a man of action.  Sure, it had been out of necessity to avoid death on multiple occasions, but it had happened. And that meant that waiting helplessly did not sit well with Oliver Queen.

Several moments into his pacing, Nyssa resurfaced, her face a collected mask no longer betraying any of the emotions he might have glimpsed there earlier.  But Oliver’s thoughts and focus were still back on Starling.

He pulled his phone from his pocket, checking it for the umpteenth time since he’d hung up with Diggle.  Nothing. And then, it rang.

“Tell me something, Digg,” Oliver said, trying to keep himself from growling.

There was a slight pause on the other end of the phone.  And Oliver knew immediately that the feeling that had been growing in his stomach was preparing him for whatever John was about to say.

“Nothing’s up here,” Diggle said, clearly trying to mask his frustration.  “I shut the alarm off and double checked everything. No breaches, and the alarm is just a general one.  Possibly triggered remotely.” He sighed. “I’m heading back to Helix now to get Felicity. I should have grabbed her before I came back here.  Just didn’t want to interfere with her work unless it was something worth interfering for.”

“What did she say when you got ahold of her?” Oliver asked.

Another pause.

Blood turned to ice in Oliver’s veins.  While it was possible for Felicity to have gotten caught up in coding, the alarm that went off on both his and Diggle’s phone would have also made a noise on hers, pulling her focus, however concentrated she was.

“You haven’t reached her yet,” Oliver said quietly.

“There’s more,” Diggle answered ominously.  “Before she went into the building, she told me she confronted her old college friend.  The one she thought might be behind the hack she’s been working on.”

Oliver’s fist at his side clenched and he had to force back the rising terror and anger lest he crush the phone in his hand.  Half a world away and Felicity was missing. No, he couldn't think that yet. At least not until Diggle confirmed it.

“Call me as soon as you get to Helix,” Oliver said, his voice growing louder.  Tatsu and Nyssa both turned their attention to him. “I want to know the instant you do whether or not I need to invent time travel in the next five minutes.”

He felt crazed, like a wild animal with its foot caught in a trap.  And Oliver was sure as hell ready to gnaw his own foot off to get out of this mess.  Figuratively speaking of course. Or maybe literally. This was Felicity after all, and there wasn’t a damn thing in this world that he wouldn’t do to keep her safe or get her back.  Ferocity burned in his lungs as he ended the call.

“What happened?” Nyssa asked.

“It’s Felicity,” he ground out.  “Diggle thinks she’s missing. She went poking around the hacker that I specifically told her to leave alone until we got back.  I should have never left her there.”

“You will find her,” Tatsu said, looking every bit as maternal as she sounded.  “I’m sure it is just a misunderstanding.”

“We need to leave as soon as Tommy gets back.  Is there any other way off this damned mountain?”

Tatsu nodded.  “The Order will be reluctant, but they will oblige under the circumstances.”

Oliver didn’t have time to ask how the Order would get them off the mountain, because when he looked toward the direction Tommy had disappeared, he found his friend had appeared once again, and was quite close- only ten or so yards away, with a lightness in his stance, but a furrowed brow.

“Something’s wrong,” Tommy said by way of greeting, as he continued to approach, his eyes scanning Oliver’s face for any obvious tells.

Oliver nodded dismissively.  “But you…” he began. “Are you…”  He let the rest of the sentence hang in the air.

“I feel…” he sighed with a smile.  “Normal.” And the difference in Tommy was marked, even for the short time he’d been gone with the old man.  He looked taller, but it could have just been the lack of weight holding him down. There was almost a buoyancy to him that hadn’t been there in months.  “Enough about me,” he said with a huff. “What did I miss?”

“The romantic interest of your friend appears to be missing,” Nyssa said coolly.

Tommy’s brow furrowed for a moment, and then his eyes shot back to Oliver.  “Felicity?”

Panic swelled in Oliver again.  This could not be happening. Not when he was half a world away.  Was this what it had been like when the Gambit had gone down, he wondered?  Had his loved ones felt this sick, twisting anguish in them every moment of every day?  It had only been moments, and Oliver wasn’t sure how he was going to survive it.

_ You’ll do it because you need to be there for her _ , he told himself.

“I just got the call from Diggle.  An alarm was tripped--” he cut off, remembering John’s words.   _ Could have been triggered remotely _ .  Was it possible Felicity had had the ability to trigger it herself before whatever happened to her?  If that was the case, could they use it to track her?

“An alarm was tripped where?” Tommy asked, prompting Oliver to continue.

But Oliver’s mind was already racing in ten different directions.  Someone had gotten into Helix and taken her? It was the only way if Diggle was waiting outside the building.

“Who was the Felicity equivalent that you worked with at ARGUS?” Oliver asked, not bothering to finish filling Tommy in.  If Felicity really was missing, and he was still halfway around the globe, they’d need reinforcements. If not the ARGUS hacker, than maybe Diggle could recruit Felicity’s friend at Helix.  Alexa, he thought her name was. No, Alena.

“Lexi,” Tommy said with a frown.  “I mean she’s in IT, not quite the hacker Felicity is but--”

“But she might be able to track Felicity’s cell phone?  Or check CCTV for any sign of where she went?”

“I’m not sure.  But you know who could?”

“Akio,” Oliver and Tatsu said in unison.

Oliver turned to face the boy’s mother.  “Can we call him? See if he can look--”

“No need,” Tatsu said, gesturing to Anadi.

“Tatsu has informed me of your situation,” his eyes slid from Oliver to Tommy.  “It appears you will all become acquainted with the shadows this day.”

Three hooded figures appeared from the morning mist, taking form beside Oliver, Tommy and Nyssa.  In tandem, the four members of the Crescent Order placed hands on them, and everything faded to black.

The darkness around them wasn’t stagnant.  It swirled in motion, colors coming into and out of focus as the seconds ticked by.  The only other sensation Oliver was aware of was the anxiety still rooted in his stomach over the thought of Felicity being missing.  In whatever time it took to travel through the shadows, his worry for her was his constant companion. There, alone in the darkness, Oliver wondered briefly if the anxiety had swallowed him whole.

And then it was over, the darkness shifting and swirling back until the world had righted itself around him.  They were once again in the driveway of the Yamashiros. The sun was no higher in the sky than it had been before everything went black.  Oliver watched as Tatsu and Anadi appeared last, the shadows shifting around the group until it seemed to pour their forms into being like one pours a glass of water.  It was eerie and shudder-inducing to watch. And it was even worse to think that he’d just come through the same sort of transition.

“You think anyone will believe us about that?” Tommy asked, heading for the door behind Tatsu.

Oliver fell into step beside him, with Nyssa doubled over, breathing heavily in the driveway.  “I don’t even know if I believe it,” Oliver answered. “And I just lived it.”

He glanced over his shoulder, thanking Anadi before the four men dissolved back into shadow and disappeared.  Tommy paused, hanging back to wait for Nyssa.

Tatsu let them into the house, calling for Akio as she went.  Oliver followed her down into the long hall, wondering if it was possible that Akio wasn’t even awake yet.  The sun had barely risen. But then, the boy poked his head out from his computer room, stifling a yawn.

“Did you sleep at your desk again?” Tatsu scolded.

“Haven’t actually slept yet,” he said, running a hand through his shaggy hair and stretching backwards, pushing onto two chair legs.  “Got stuck on this code…”

If the whole situation hadn’t been so dire and so stressful, Oliver would have laughed.  Who could have ever thought that spending a couple of months with him in Russia would have completely altered this boy’s life?  Not that Oliver had been the one to alter it-- no, that had been all Felicity. And rightly to. She just had that way about her.  People met her and weren’t the same. A pang of anguish nearly rocked him backwards on his feet.

“Oliver needs your help,” she said, nudging Akio’s chair so that the front feet connected back with the floor.

Akio snapped to attention at the urgency in his mother’s voice.

“It’s… Felicity.  We think she might have been…”  Oliver cleared his throat. “Taken.”  He choked out the last word. “Can you link to her phone?  I can give you whatever you need. Codes to our system in the foundry, her cell number.  Whatever you need…”

The urgent sound of fingers tapping against the keyboard was Akio’s only reply for a long moment.

“Is this the address of where she works?” he asked, pointing to the computer screen.  It was amazing that Akio had found it so quickly. “Her phone is still pinging from the building,” he said.  And then went back to typing.  

Another quiet minute and Oliver glanced over his shoulder to see Tommy on the phone.  He wasn’t sure with whom, but heard the word ‘jet’ several times, so he assumed their ride was being arranged back to Starling.  Good. The sooner they could get home, the quicker they could get out canvassing the area for any sign of her.

Oliver tried to think back to what Felicity had said about the hacker she was looking for.  It hadn’t been much. And he’d been so focused on the man in the orange and black mask that he’d barely given her hacker another thought.

His phone rang and Oliver answered it immediately.  “Talk to me Digg,” he said, not even checking the name on the screen.

“She’s not here man,” Diggle said, frustration mounting in his voice.  “Phone and purse are here, along with a vase of flowers. Her friend Alena said someone came in to deliver them right about the time the alarm went off on our phones.  She’s pulling up video for me now so I can get to work tracking down the idiot that did this. We’re going to get her back, Oliver.”

“Tommy and I are headed back.  We’re done here and the more people on this….” he let the words hang.  He couldn’t think about finishing that sentences. Couldn’t imagine  _ not _ getting her back.  “I’ll let you know my ETA as soon as I can.”  Oliver ended the call, his attention shifting back to the computer screen and what Akio was pulling up on it.

“Found something,” the teenager said, blowing up a video until it covered the top four monitors in front of them.

On it, Felicity was sitting at a desk, confronted by a man carrying a vase of flowers.  The look on her face when she spun around was stricken, like she knew the person and then horrified when he produced a gun.  She slipped her phone into a drawer and then the pair went through an emergency exit door.

“Is there a camera outside that door?” Oliver asked.  He should have done a layout on the building there. Should have installed his own cameras to keep an eye on her, in the event that anything like this ever happened.

“Doesn’t look like it,” Akio said with a frown.  He clicked back several frames, looking for any instance where the man faced the camera.  But it was like he knew where it was and kept his face shielded.

“Wheels up as soon as we get to the jet,” Tommy said, coming up beside Oliver.  And Oliver had never been so appreciative of his friend’s cool resolve in crisis mode.

Oliver nodded, shifting his gaze from the computer screen to Tatsu and Akio.  “I wish this was under different circumstances--” he began.

“Go,” Tatsu said, shooing them toward the door.  “There will be other times to catch up. Times when the woman you love is not in danger.”

“Thank you,” Oliver said.  By the front door, Nyssa waited with their bags.  “Thank you for everything,” he said as they made their way toward the door.

“Akio will drive you,” Tatsu said.  “He’s the most adept at the back roads and will get you to the city quicker than Maseo or I can.”

Oliver nodded as they all filed out the door and headed for the airport.

\---

Tommy couldn’t dwell on the thought that played in his head. That maybe if he hadn’t asked Ollie to come with him, maybe if he could face his demons alone, Felicity would be fine. But he shook his head until the ideas dislodged.

He didn’t know who went after Felicity, but the fault lies solely with them, and if it took the entire plane ride back to Starling, he’d convince Oliver of that too. 

Silence hung around them all as they approached the airstrip. So quiet Tommy could hear each gearshift. He reached forward and placed a hand on Oliver’s shoulder. It felt good to be back in the right headspace. The last two months felt clouded. Not that he didn’t remember what happened. He had the reminders seared into his memories. But there was a distinct line there as well. Who he had been with the bloodlust, and who he was without it. He felt clearer, more rational. And he couldn’t help but hope that the timing was some form of fate. He would need a level head as they went home, to find Felicity. Because they would find her. There was no force on this earth that could keep him and Oliver for doing that.

“Dammit,” Oliver threw his phone down, and Tommy watched Akio wince as the boy pulled to a stop outside the airport.

“What happened?” he asked. He knew Ollie had been texting Diggle for the last ten minutes or so. Whatever upstate he had, must not have sat well.

Oliver met his eye in the mirror, and shook his head. “Alena said this Myron guy’s clean. They tracked his movements for the day and he was in back-to-back meetings.”

They exited the car, and Akio stayed quiet as he took out their luggage. The young man looked as upset as he felt. But he had to hold it together for Oliver.

“We’re gonna figure this out,” Tommy said, taking a deep breath. “As soon as we land in Starling, we’ll hit the pavement, canvas the area. We’ll find something.”

Nyssa cleared her throat as she stood near her own bag. “I feel this is the best time to depart from you.”

He almost didn’t register her words. She couldn’t be serious. “You’re leaving? Right now?”

“What business is it of mine that your friend is missing?”

Oliver made a move forward, but Tommy shot out his arm to hold the vigilante back. “Nyssa we could use your help.”

“And I do apologize, but I cannot give it to you,” she held her head high, but Tommy could see the conflict just underneath the surface. Part of her wanted to come with them, and he had a feeling it was the same part that still loved Sara. “My father will be expecting me to return. The longer I delay, the more likely he is to send scouts to find me. And I think you both would feel better if the League remained far from your city.”

He didn’t exactly disagree with her reasons. They had enough shit to deal with without bringing the League of Assassins into it. But still, another pair of eyes, another fighter, it could help. Or maybe he just wasn’t ready to say the things he needed to.

She pulled something from her jacket, a slim black envelope with gold lettering. “If you would do me this one courtesy, and deliver this to Sara on my behalf.”

He wanted to question when she had the time to write a letter, let alone put a wax seal on it. But he suspected maybe Nyssa had been carrying the words for longer than she would care to admit. 

“I’ll give it to her,” he said as he slipped it into his pocket. “I wanted to thank you.”

“I was duty bound.”

“We both know there was more to it,” he moved in closer, and dropped his voice. “You helped me keep my head above water, you spoke up on my behalf with your father. Maybe the lines that divide us aren’t as black and white as they used to be.”

“Now I know the Lotus tuly works,” she said with a grin. “You have returned to your naive beliefs of good in all beings.”

“Or you’re finally showing yours,” he matched her look. “I’ll tell Sara you said goodbye.”

She shook her head. “All I wish to say is in that letter.”

“Okay.”

She looked off in the distance as she said. “I will have to find a clever way of keeping my father from coming after the Order.”

“You’re not gonna tell him?” Oliver spoke, and Tommy was surprised he was even listening given everything. 

“The Crescent Order’s only purpose is to keep good souls from falling into the darkness,” she seemed to weigh her own words in her head. “I do not wish for my father to taint that and start a war where no one wins.”

“Goodbye.”

“Farewell,” She nodded before she grabbed her bag and was off. Tommy didn’t know if he’d ever seen her again, but he hoped she’d one day find the peace she had helped him achieve.

“We have to go, Tommy.”

He could feel the anxiety settling inside as well. He remembered the last time he had lost Felicity, when they got seperated in Russia, when he had to leave her to keep up appearances with his father. How many times over the last three years had he wished he could go back to that time and stay searching for her. He would have found Oliver so much faster, would have kept Waller from getting her hooks in him. He could have helped get Akio home to his family. And maybe, just maybe he could have brought Oliver home too. 

But this wasn’t a time to dwell on the past. Not when Felicity was missing in the present.

“Akio, thank you for bringing us here,” Oliver said, his hand resting on the young teen’s shoulder. “I wish we could have spent more time catching up. And if I could stay I--”

“Stop,” Akio waved him off. “This is more important. I know that.”

Tommy grabbed the bags, and gave them a moment to say goodbye on their own. He needed to call Lexi anyway and see if she could do some tracking for him. Given the time, she was probably still at the office. 

He turned away from the plane and dialed. He needed to get her on this fast.

“Yello?” he heard her cheery voice over some kind of synth bass.

“Nice to talk to you too,” he replied with a grin, despite everything. 

A long pause transpired before she spoke again. “Tommy? Wow I sort of thought the director had you on this long term undercover op that would lead to you returning in three years with some badass face scar.”

“You watch too many movies, Lexi,” he sighed. “Look I need you to do me a favor, and I kinda need it off the books.”

“Isn’t everything I do off the books?”

“Off the ARGUS books I mean,” he said as he dropped his voice. 

He messed with his phone, until he had picture message sent. He had Digg send it to him to see if he knew the guy. But it wasn’t ringing any bells. “I’m sending you a photo, I want you to use all of our resources to track this guy down.”

“Waller’s not gonna like that,” she said a little lower. “And considering how much the higher ups were breathing down her neck a few months back, she’s not likely to forgive anyone who steps out of line.”

“I need this Lexi,” he tried to hold it together. With the bloodlust gone, and all the fury that went with it, all he had left to focus on was pain. So he needed to use the one asset he had to find Felicity. “Felicity is missing, and I just need you to put his face into the system. If he’s on ARGUS’s radar, then I’ll have a direction to go when I land.”

She didn’t speak for a moment but then he heard her sigh. “Okay, I’ll do it. But if she asks…”

“You can fully blame me I promise,” he turned back and saw Oliver as he walked towards the plane. Akio was nowhere in sight, but maybe he went to the bathroom in the airport or something. “I have to go, Lex. I’ll touch base with you when we land back in Starling. Thank you.”

“Copy that, boy scout.”

He rolled his eyes as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. But it was nice to hear the codename again, nice to feel like that version of himself, despite everything else.

“I talked to Digg,” Oliver said, as his hand fidgeted at his side. “He brought Alena to the Foundry. Not the best idea, but she’s Felicity’s friend and she knows what she’s doing. Maybe she can get something we can’t. He also called in Lyla and Sara to canvas the area around Helix.”

“We’re gonna get her back.” he moved him towards the plane. “But right now we have to get there.”

He nodded and they both boarded the plane, headed for Starling. 

He couldn’t help it. Without the distraction of his phone to call anyone, or the voice of his father burrowing it’s way through his head, Tommy fell asleep. It wasn’t without it’s fits, he was too anxious with Felicity missing to sleep peacefully. But it was easier to fall into it, to let it drag him under without the fear of waking to a need he didn’t want to quench. 

When he woke again it was hours into their flight, and one look at his best friend told him Oliver hadn’t slept any. Hyper vigilant even when there was nothing to keep an eye on. He wanted to take this from Oliver, to carry this burden all on his own. Ollie held everything by himself. He didn’t deserve this.

“You can’t will the plane to move faster,” he said trying to drag a smile from Oliver’s face. “I mean you can try, but it’s not gonna work.”

“I don’t like being stuck when anything could be happening to her.”

“I saw that footage too,” he chanced a look at Oliver. “She knew him. This guy took her code, he’s been using it against her. This isn’t a random attack, he wanted her for a reason. He needs her for a reason.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“Yes,” he moved from his seat so he could take the one opposite Oliver. “Because the longer he needs her, the safer she is.”

“She’s not safe Tommy. We don’t know where she is.”

“You know what I meant,” he met Oliver’s eyes. “We’ve both seen it in our lines of work. You don’t go through this much effort to kidnap someone like Felicity, unless you need her skill set for something. We have time to find her. You have to remember that. Because getting off this plane and punching anyone who gets in your way isn’t gonna help her.”

“Okay.”

“Really? That was easy.”

“I’m exhausted, what can I say.”

Tommy casted a glance at the open seats next to them. “You could sleep? It’s a suggestion.”

Oliver shook his head. “I think I’ll hit the bathroom, splash some water on my face.”

Tommy rolled his eyes as Oliver made his way to the back of the plane. He could still feel sleep itching at him, dragging him closer to the edge. They were still at least four hours out. He would just close his eyes for a few more minutes and then try and distract Oliver from his growing anxiety.

“Are you out of your damn mind?!”

Tommy’s eyes shot open, following Ollie’s booming voice. He saw his friend at the back of the plane, but he wasn’t alone. Akio Yamashiro stood next to him, looking all kinds of guilty.

This would not end well for any of them.

\---

He wanted to build another device.  Cooper Seldon, her dead-but-not-dead ex-boyfriend wanted her help to build another Markov device?  Not only that, but he thought she was complicit-- no, enthusiastically involved in making the first ones.  Felicity shuttered. Her stomach had been replaced with a pit of snakes, their slithering bodies coiling inside her, making every moment one where she wanted to wretch until there was nothing left inside her.  Of all the things she had anticipated when she’d first found her code being used, never in her wildest dreams or nightmares had this been a possibility she could have imagined.

“How was your visit with your mother?” Cooper asked, spreading the plans wide across a drafting table and placing paperweights on the ends so it stayed in place.  “I thought maybe I would recruit her to help me get your attention. But I wanted our reunion to be more special than that. More… intimate.”

Her mother?  Donna had barely been gone a day, and Felicity was beyond thankful that Cooper hadn’t stooped to using her mother against her.

“If you want my help, you’ll leave her out of this,” Felicity ground out.  She had originally thought that maybe, possibly she could have kept up some sort of pretense, that she could make Cooper believe she would work with him willingly and not that she’d punch him in the face given the opportunity.  But it was proving harder than she’d anticipated. His face just seemed so punch-worthy.

Cooper tsked at her, cocking his head to the side as he watched her.  “Still that same spitfire I remember,” he grinned. “I’m glad you haven’t let the world douse your flames, babe.”

_ Babe _ .  He’d called her that back at MIT.  It had always been his pet name for her, the one term of endearment she’d allowed.  She used to revel in the way that word sounded in his specific tenor. It was like he almost purred each letter, a soft supplication on his lips.  Now it just made her stomach turn in revulsion.

But she had to do something.  She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, being in the basement of the Merlyn Global building.  Cooper had set up a makeshift work area, having cleared some of the rubble in the center of the cavernous basement.  Several temporary flood lights had been set up and were running on a generator, somewhere. She could hear the muffled sound of its motor running from another part of the collapsed basement. Dust still hung thick in the air, motes of it floating like glitter through the beams of light from the tall flood lights.

There was no actual power grid for her to tap into.  Nothing that would connect with the outside world, no way to get a message to Diggle or Oliver.  Oh god, Oliver. He was probably half out of his mind in Japan, because he would have gotten the alarm on his phone too.  She needed to figure out a way to get them a message, to tell them where she was.  

But how?  Cooper had made her leave her phone at Helix.

“As you can imagine,” Cooper said, pulling her focus back to where he sat at the table where the plans were laid out.  He gestured around room. “We’ve been busy assembling all the parts we could decypher over the last two months, since winning the auction.  Obviously there are some proprietary things that Mr. Merlyn felt it necessary to keep a secret.” He smiled. “And of course, that’s where you come in.”

“I just did bits and pieces,” Felicity said, trying to keep the venom from her voice.  “Markov was highly secretive with assembling the whole thing. And Malcolm killed the entire team, including Markov, before setting his plan in motion for the devices.”

Cooper put the papers down, standing and crossing the distance between them.  He sat down beside her, searching her face. “But he let you live,” he said smoothly.  “Now I’m no expert, but it would stand to reason, that if Malcolm Merlyn killed everyone else on the team, including the person for whom his precious device was named, but let Felicity Smoak live… well there must be some reason.”

She swallowed hard, fighting off the rising bile in her throat.  How could she tell Cooper the truth? How could she explain that she’d only narrowly escaped with her life because her boyfriend was a vigilante?  That Malcolm had tried to come after her too, but that she had a lot of highly skilled friends keeping her safe.

Felicity nodded her head, giving him a tight smile.  Besides, she just had to keep Coop busy until Oliver could get back in the country and track her down.  He would come for her. He had always promised her that, and he’d always saved her when she needed it. When ARGUS came for her, and Malcolm.  So she had to believe that he would come now too. She just needed to figure out how to get him a message so he could track her down.

“Should we go over those plans?” she asked, gesturing to the stack of papers laid out on the table that he’d abandoned a moment ago.  “Figure out what else we still need to make this device?”

“Don’t toy with me, babe,” Cooper said, a tentative brightness in his voice now.  “Are you in? Are you really going to help?”

Everything within her screamed to say no.  But in the interest of self-preservation, she couldn’t tell him that.  She needed to buy herself time for Oliver to find her. It was the only thing she could think about, the only thing that kept her from screaming, crying, going insane.

“It’s why you brought me here, isn’t it?” She asked, nudging him with her shoulder.

Cooper narrowed his eyes a fraction, assessing her.  “You just seemed less… amenable to the idea than I’d expected.”

“It was just a shock,” Felicity explained, even as her skin crawled just to look at him.  “Seeing you again after all this time. I mourned you Coop. Even seeing the code again. I just thought--”

“Myron,” he scoffed.  “He doesn’t have the imagination for something like that.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”  She forced a laugh. “But you…” she let her words trail off, keeping her voice quiet, drawing him in.  She was disgusted with herself, but sometimes, one had to do impossible things to stay alive. “You always were one for a grand gesture.”

Cooper stood and spun around, arms extended like he was showing off the room.  “I thought you’d like it,” he said, a spark in his eyes now. “Seeing the power that this device has, first hand.  It’s sped up our production process immeasurably.”

_ Sped up _ ?  Had they already started putting the device together?  Even without the pieces they couldn’t figure out?

“What do you mean?” Felicity asked, needing clarity, even as her pulse ticked up with anxiety.

“Come see for yourself,” Cooper said, extending a hand to her.

Felicity stood, grateful that the effects of whatever he’d drugged her with seemed to be wearing off.  She wanted to smack his hand away, to punch him in the face and make a run for it. But she had no way of knowing what door they’d cleared out for access, or if they’d just cleared rubble along some exterior wall to get inside.  She’d never make it out alone, not before they got to her.  

So she hid her revulsion and took Cooper’s extended hand.  She laced their fingers together like she’d done for how many blissful months at MIT.  Back when she was young and in love and full of naivete. Back when Cooper and coding were her life.  Now his fingers felt like clammy bondages, tethering her to him in a sick and twisted game.

He led her down a hallway.  Or at the very least it was a pathway that had been cleared, with concrete and rebar, wires and office furniture all in gnarled heeps on either side of the path.  It was darker here, with none of the same flood lights to illuminate where they were headed. But Felicity could see a faint glow in the distance, and Cooper was leading her straight toward it.  He pulled her along eagerly, gently squeezing her hand like he was trying to gear her up too.

They paused at the end of a narrow walkway, a large curtain drawn across the space like a makeshift door.  More grand reveals. Somehow death had made Cooper more melodramatic than she remembered. Two guards with automatic guns stood on either side of the curtain, giving Cooper a nod as they approached.

“She’s good,” he confirmed, and then pushed aside the curtain. 

Cooper led her into the room and Felicity was shocked at how many of the walls still stood around this central area.  Three of the four sides were still completely intact, with the curtain barring off the fourth wall completely. And in the center was the one thing that Felicity had hoped she’d never lay eyes on again.  

The new Markov device wasn’t complete.  It lay open, like an egg cracked in half, with all of the insides spilling out.  But the shell was all there. It looked to be further along than she would have expected for a mere two months worth of work.  Several people stood hunched over the thing, fitting pieces together, testing components to make sure they worked. Felicity swallowed hard, and dragged her eyes away from it to look at the man she’d onced loved.

Cooper stared at the device with rapt attention, like a child who had just come down the stairs on their birthday to discover a mountain of presents.  There was wonder and awe and excitement on his face. And Felicity’s stomach bottomed out to watch him.

After a long moment he tore his eyes away from it to meet her gaze.  “Babe,” he breathed quietly, putting an arm around her. “This device is beyond magnificent.”  He leaned down, capturing her lips in an eager, urgent kiss. He pulled away a moment later, cupping her face in his hands.  “And with it, we’re going to do things we only ever dreamed of.”

Tears sprang to her eyes, and Felicity had to fight back the sob that threatened to betray her.  She felt violated- body, mind and soul. The Markov device had been her greatest regret, the thing that haunted her dreams at night.  How many people had lost their lives to it, because of Malcolm’s perverse plans for the city? That blood still coated her hands. And the thought that Cooper wanted to do the same thing, to some other city, to countless other families, it was almost more than she could bear.

Felicity bit down hard on her bottom lip to keep from crying, swiping a hand across the unshed tears at the corners of her eyes.  She would find a way to contact Diggle and Oliver. To get them a message so they could find her and break her out of this hellish nightmare.  But for that, she’d need computer privileges. And for that, she needed Cooper to believe her lies.

So, despite the screams in her head that she knew weren’t really the voices of all the people who had lost her lives in that building, Felicity steeled herself to do the unthinkable.  She forced the quaiver out her voice as she asked, “Where do we start?” 


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,  
> I am so sorry about not posting last night. I have no excuse other than I forgot. And I'm sorry for that. But I hope you enjoy this chapter a day later.
> 
> lots of love,  
> Kayla

Oliver pulled Akio out of the bathroom and motioned for him to take a seat. He seemed to weigh his options and instead of following Oliver’s lead he crossed his arms and gave the archer a look.

“What the hell is he doing here?” Tommy asked as he moved to stand next to him. “How did he get on the plane?”

Oliver groaned as he turned to Tommy. “Why do you think I know either of those answers?”

“Because you were the last one to talk to the teenage stowaway.”

Oliver sighed and looked at his young friend. Akio looked so much like Maseo. But that strong, stoic stature he gave off in that moment was all Tatsu. “Akio--”

“I wanted to help you,” he said, giving a shrug. “Like you guys helped me all those years ago. You need a hacker.”

“We have a hacker.”

“You need one you can trust,” he added, eyeing Oliver closely. “And you know you can trust me. I want to help find Felicity. She did a lot for me in those weeks. She taught me stuff, but mostly she didn’t treat me like some problem she had to solve. Then she helped you get me home. And I want to return the favor.”

“Akio, look I get it,” he shook his head. “I do, but your mom and dad are gonna be worried sick. Okay they lost you once and it almost destroyed them both. So taking off like this was stupid and reckless.”

“I left a note,” he muttered.

“Can we circle back to how you’re even on the plane?” Tommy asked pulling both of their attention. “Because I’m very confused, since I was next to the plane the whole time.”

Akio rolled his eyes. “You mean while you had your secret phone call about ARGUS business?” 

Oliver felt the sting of Akio’s words as he said them. He had made an active effort not to mention Waller or ARGUS around the Yamashiros. So much pain and agony came from those months, Akio didn’t deserve to relive it, not now, not ever. 

“Eavesdropping isn’t nice.”

“Tommy,” he held up a hand and focused back on Akio. “How’d you get on the plane?”

“You had to take a call, I told you I was gonna grab a bite to eat before I left,” his gaze dropped to the ground. “And I remembered you used to say the best time to sneak off is when those around you won’t notice. So I made my way to the plane, Tommy was on the phone too. And I just boarded.”

Oliver had never really worried about the lasting effects of the things he taught Akio when they were in Russia. But apparently they were gonna come back to bite him in the ass.

“The pilot didn’t say anything when we got on,” Oliver remembered, then motioned for Tommy to go talk to him. Luckily his friend listened. 

“Because you had three people listed on the flight manifest. He assumed I was your third, then went into the cockpit and I hid in the bathroom.”

“When the plane lands I have to send you back,” he didn’t want to put Akio in danger. Not with some kidnapper or whatever else Starling had brewing under the surface. “You realize that?”

“The plane’s going to need refueling.”

“Nice try, that won’t take long.”

“You’ll need another pilot,” Akio added with a smirk. “Unless you want to make the poor man fly twenty hours in less than twenty four.”

“You can wait on the plane until the next one shows up,” he replied, because he was not about to be outwitted by a fifteen year old.

“I snuck on to a private jet bound for a ten hour flight to a country I’ve never been to before, you really think I’m just gonna stay put?”

Was this what parenting was? Would his own son one day try his patience this hard? He certainly hoped not. 

“Akio, you’re going home.”

“No.”

“Akio.”

“Oliver.”

“I’m not putting a fifteen year old in the middle of a kidnapping,” he said, like he was explaining something complicated. Honestly he probably wouldn’t even let Thea help with this, why in the world would Akio think he’d let him? “It’s dangerous.”

“I won’t be anywhere near anything dangerous, I’ll be behind a computer screen,” he countered. “You saw how fast I pulled up that security footage. Let me help, please. Give me a day tops. Twenty four hours to help you find Felicity, and then I swear I’ll go straight home.”

Tommy had reemerged, looking annoyed back at the cockpit. “Apparently even though we came with a woman, he thought nothing about us leaving with a child.”

“I’m not a kid,” Akio said meeting Tommy’s gaze. “I see how the world works.”

Oliver sighed. “I know it feels that way but--”

“He’s been working with ARGUS since right after Russia,” he met Oliver’s gaze with a shrug. “I got that info a year ago. But I never told my parents your best friend was working for the woman who split us up. Because I get he had his reasons. I don’t need them, he doesn’t owe me an explanation. I get that there are things you have to do in the world to survive it. Like when you joined the Bratva to save me.”

He had assumed many times that Akio knew the truth about Russia, but to be confronted with it, to hear his young friend say the word out loud, to not shy away from it. It was a hard truth to come to terms with. He didn’t like talking about the Bratva, he didn’t want to tell another living soul about that time. But he couldn’t in that moment deny that Akio had a point. He wasn’t a little kid anymore.

“If I agree to this,” he stated giving Akio a look. “And that’s still up for debate, you have to do everything Tommy and I say.”

“I can follow rules.”

“Says the kid who hitched a ride to the states on my airplane,” Tommy mumbled.

“And,” Oliver added his eyes still on the boy. “You have to call your mom the second we land.”

Akio looked at the floor. “She’s gonna be so mad.”

“Exactly why you get to call her.” He took a breath and then, even though a part of him felt like he might regret it later, he added. “Okay, you can help us find Felicity.”

“Really?” His smile grew. “Yes, awesome. I won’t let you down.”

He pressed his hand against his temple. “Let’s all just sit and try and get some rest before we make it to Starling.” 

Akio gave a sheepish look. “I’m gonna go to the bathroom first.”

“You’ve been in there for over five hours?” Tommy gave him a look.

“Yeah but if I went you guys would have found me sooner,” he replied then headed to the back of the plane.

“Ollie, listen--”

“I know,” he cut Tommy off. “I get that this is a bad idea.”

“Then let’s send him home the second we get back,” he kept his voice low. “He’s a kid, he doesn’t need to be involved in this.”

“You said yourself that Lexi wasn’t as strong a hacker,” Oliver could feel the rush of anxiety hit him again. “And we don’t know this Alena girl. I know Akio, and I trust him. And with Felicity missing, I need to work with someone I trust.”

“I don’t want to put him at risk.”

“So we won’t,” he knew it was crazy. Hell if it was for anyone else he’d wait at the airport himself to send Akio straight home. But this was Felicity. And he couldn’t let her go missing a moment longer than he had to. “We control where he goes, what he sees. He’ll be completely safe and secure. He never has to leave the Foundry.”

“The place directly below Verdant, the club we open that usually is crawling with things we would have given anything for at fifteen?”

“Fine I’ll take him to Felicity’s place when the club is open.” He didn’t plan on Akio being there long. Just long enough to help them find Felicity, and then he’d be on his way home. “Tommy we need all the resources we have to find Felicity. There’s no telling what kind of trouble she’s in. And if Akio can help us narrow the search…”

“I’m with you on that,” he said with a look that Oliver hoped wasn’t pity. “But his mother might insist we send him back.”

“Yeah, I know.” He just hoped after everything they had been through, Tatsu would trust him enough to keep Akio safe until he returned home. And that she’d trust he’d never ask for something like this unless it was really important. 

Tommy watched him carefully as the silence dragged on. Then finally he spoke. “Will you do me a favor now?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Not really no.” He looked over to the few areas of seating. “If we’re trusting a fifteen year old child to help us find Felicity, you have to at least close your eyes until we get back home.”

“Tommy I’m--”

“If you say you’re fine I swear to god I will punch you,” he cut him off. “Ollie you’re exhausted, you’re stressed, and I know how I would feel right now, so it’s got to be ten times worse for you. So do me a favor, do Felicity a favor, and sleep while you can. You’re no good to any of us if you pass out when we need you most.”

He didn’t disagree with Tommy’s logic. But he also knew there was no way he could fall asleep while she was missing. Every time he closed his eyes he saw her face. And he knew it would only get worse if he tried to do more. He wouldn’t let his mind conjure anything worse than the things he already knew.

But looking at Tommy, he also couldn’t exactly refuse. “I will try.”

“It’s better than nothing.”

Oliver moved to an empty seat and leaned back. He just needed to get home and find Felicity. Nothing else really mattered until they found her. Not the man in the mask, not Deadshot, not the whole damn city. He’d deal with all those things when she was back by his side. But until then he would remain laser focused, and he wouldn’t give up. He promised Felicity he’d always come for her, and he wasn’t about to break that promise.

\---

Once Oliver had settled some, Tommy moved back to his seat, pulling out his phone and staring at the photo again.  Diggle said he’d gotten it from the flower shop used for the decoy. he owner had installed a hidden closed circuit camera after being vandalized the year before.  The man in the photo was young, early to mid twenties but there was nothing really remarkable about him. Dark hair, normalish face, nothing distinguishing. Tommy just hoped that Lexi would be able to find something running facial recognition, although Digg probably already had Alena do that.  Who knew what either of them would found.

Akio emerged from the bathroom a moment later, glancing around the space.  Oliver was reclined in one of the seats, his eyes closed. With a nod in Oliver’s direction, Akio moved to sit across the aisle from Tommy.

“Do you think he’s really going to sleep?” Akio whispered.

“Not a chance,” Tommy whispered back.  “But I forced him to try anyway. He won’t be any help finding her if he’s exhausted.”

Akio nodded, stretching out his long legs and leaning back a little in the seat.  “I hope I didn’t cause too much trouble in coming along,” he sighed. “I just couldn’t sit home and do nothing.  I’m no Felicity, but I can help. I know I can.”

“Starling City is a dangerous place,” Tommy said with a frown.  “Now more than ever. But we’ll keep you safe until we can put you on a plane back home.”

With a face, Akio blew out a breath.  “I just wish I knew how I was going to tell my mom.”

“Didn’t really think that one through, huh?”

“No.  I mean the note was easy enough to leave.  But I’m sure she’s going to yell when she finally gets ahold of me.”

“You are her only child,” Tommy said, mockingly stern.  He knew that meant something- being someone’s child. Maybe not in his family, but certainly in enough of the families he knew.  The Queen’s, Lance’s, hell even Felicity’s mom was a little neurotic when it came to her only daughter. Just because Malcolm had been a shitty parent didn’t lesson the levity of it for everyone else.

Akio shrugged.  “I was due for some teenage rebellion.”

Tommy laughed, despite himself.  Despite the situation. He laughed and it was full of mirth and a weightlessness that he hadn’t felt in months.  He hated that freedom from his shackles came at such an otherwise dire time. It seemed wrong to feel the way he did, but he wouldn’t change it.  He’d been so constricted these last two months, so tightly bound that even given the circumstances, he had to be a little grateful.

Several beats of silence passed between them, until Akio spoke up again.  “You came for the Crescent Order,” he said quietly. “But you don’t seem like the others.”

“The others?”

“The League.  I’ve met their kind before.”

“You have?” Tommy’s brow furrowed, confused.

Akio shook his head dismissively.  “I’m sure my parents didn’t realize that I knew.  But we housed a few last year. After they were cured.  The magic of the Pit is…”

“Formidable,” Tommy breathed, but even that word didn’t seem to do it justice.  Magic by nature was otherworldly, but what the Pit did, it was grotesque and wrong and… and it had saved his life when nothing else could.  Not medicine, not hope. Only the water from the Pit.

“Yeah,” Akio agreed.

Silence stretched between them again.  Tommy caught up in his own head, his mind running circles around thoughts of the League, the Pit, and the encounter in the woods with his father under the effects of the Lotus.  He glanced over several moments later to find Akio asleep, his head lolling forward, chin propped up by his fist.

Tommy leaned back himself, closing his eyes and letting the whirr of the jet engines and movement of the plane lull him to sleep.

He awoke sometime later, as the captain came over the PA system announcing their final descent into Starling.  Tommy yawned, stretching after the awkward position he’d finagled himself into in sleep. His rest had been fitful, his worry for Felicity seeping into his dreams.

Oliver and Akio were across the aisle from him, chatting as Akio typed away on a tablet.

“Hey,” Tommy said, rubbing the heel of one hand into his eye to dissipate the sleepiness.

“Hey,” Oliver answered, barely sparing him a glance as he watched Akio’s screen.

“What’s going on?”

“We’ve been chatting with Alena and Diggle in the Foundry.  No sign of Felicity or any sort of ransom yet, so your theory about whoever taking her needing her for something seems reasonable,” Oliver said, barely pausing to take a breath.  “The image of the guy in the flower shop was too grainy to run through facial recognition. Alena is working on cleaning it up, but it’s going to take a little time.”

“You guys have been busy.  I feel bad for sleeping.”

Oliver shook his head dismissively.  “I only just got up myself about an hour ago.”

“Were you able to sleep?”

“Barely,” he sighed.  “And not well.”

That was understandable.  The guy’s girlfriend was missing, after all.  But any sleep was probably better than none. Tommy nodded toward the tablet.  “And what’s that?”

Akio cleared his throat.  “I was watching the video from the florist.  If you look right… there,” he said pointing to the screen and pausing it.  “You can see the car pull up, and a shadow as someone gets out before our guy enters.  I think this is his car. Just working on enhancing the image of the license plate to see if we can track him that way.”

“Chances are the plates are stolen,” Oliver said with resignation.  “But if they do belong to our guy, it will be one step closer to finding Felicity.”

Tommy took all the information in, processing it as best he could.  If this was just something that Waller had dumped on him with a sterile case number and names he didn’t recognize, what would he do next?  How would he go about tracking the missing person down? Or the perp?

“Any chance Felicity left any other clues?”

Oliver shook his head.  “I’ve watched the tape of him walking her out a dozen times.  She seems too startled, too ambushed to do much more than follow his commands.”

“Mind if I take a look?”

Oliver shrugged, handing over a second tablet, where the video was already cued up.  Tommy settled back into his seat, and pressed play. He watched it once, twice, three times as the plane finally landed.  He put the tablet down beside him, grabbing his bag and switching his phone on.

Immediately there was a ping- a text from Lexi to call ASAP.

Did that mean good news?  Or at least  _ some  _ news?

He didn’t wait another beat, dialing her number, drumming impatiently on his leg with his free hand.

“Hey Boysc-- I mean Tommy,” she said, answering in her usual chipper tone.

“Lex, hey.  Please tell me you’ve found something.”

She cleared her throat on the other end, the typing that he’d heard in the background ceasing.  “Well, no. I mean yes. I mean, what I found is the absence of anything.”

Tommy frowned.  “This isn’t the time for a play on words, Lex.”

“It’s not,” she said quickly.  “What I’m saying is, that image brings up nothing.  Zero, and I mean zero hits on facial recognition.” There was a pause.  “And then I tried running it through the ARGUS database. And that’s where things get interesting.”

He waited for her to continue, despite wanting to press.

“Whoever this is, they’re connected.  My inquiry was blocked, saying I didn't have the security clearance to access the file.”

“What kind of file?” Tommy asked.

“NSA.”

The NSA?  Were they behind Felicity’s disappearance?  Why would a government agency take her, after Waller specifically put Felicity on the government’s blacklist?  She was supposed to be off limits. It was in Tommy’s agreement with Waller when he agreed to join ARGUS. So why would the NSA renege?  

This left him with far more questions than answers.  But did they at least have a direction now? Did they have her on some blacksite, interrogating her for information on the Markov device that his father had built?  Tommy didn’t know. It seemed as plausible a theory as any.  

“Thanks Lexi.  I appreciate you looking.”  He hung up the phone and turned toward Oliver.  “Well that was interesting.”

“What did she find?” Oliver asked immediately.

“Whoever that is,” Tommy said, picking up the tablet and pointing to the image of the man carrying flowers to Felicity’s workspace at Helix.  “Their identity is being protected by the NSA.”

Oliver frowned.  “A government agency took her?  But I thought Waller--”

“We made the deal two years ago,” Tommy said.  And then something caught his eye. In the corner of the frame as Felicity was headed for the emergency exit.  He rewound the recording, blowing up the image so the video was full screen. No, he wasn’t mistaken. There it was again.  Her fingers, moving quickly, deftly at her side.

“Is that…” Tommy said, pointing to Felicity’s hand.  “Is she signing something?”

“How did I miss that?” Oliver asked, frustrated.  He took the tablet and watched through the sequence again.  “It’s letters.” He paused, rewinding it again. “C-O-O-Q.”

“No, that’s a P,” Tommy said.  “C-O-O-P-E-R.”

“Cooper?” Akio questioned.

Tommy squinted, the name brushing up against something in the recesses of his mind.  A long-forgotten memory of a late night drinking before they’d travelled the globe to find Oliver.  Her boyfriend at MIT. Hadn’t his name been Cooper? But he was dead.

And then it all made sense.  The shock on Felicity’s face.  She’d looked like she’d seen a ghost.  Because she  _ had _ .

“Cooper,” Tommy agreed.  “It was her boyfriend when she was at MIT.  Apparently coming back from the dead is getting trendy.”  He slung his bag over his shoulder and swiftly made for the stairs of the plane.  “He got pinched for a hack they pulled together on the Department of Education. And the government told her that he committed suicide.  It was why she moved to Starling.”

“Her dead ex is the one that kidnapped her?” Akio frowned.

“It would appear that way,” Tommy confirmed.

His car was just where they’d left it just a couple days ago, parked at the Merlyn Global hanger at the airport.  He glanced back to find Oliver already on the phone calling Diggle to fill him in on what they’d discovered. They might not have a why or where yet- but they had a who.  And that was the first step in getting Felicity back.

\---

####  She hated Malcolm Merlyn even more in death than she could ever have when he lived. How devious to sell the Markov device off to the highest bidder? And to what end? It’s not like he would have needed the money had he lived. He did it for leverage, for power to sit back and watch the world burn, and it filled her with a simmering rage. 

But she tried her best to channel it into work. The sick irony wasn’t lost on her. The last time she had been this angry about Merlyn’s plans she had dived headfirst into the Markov project too. And the end result had been…

“See the parts that are missing are here,” Cooper reached from behind her, and she forced herself to relax as his hand traced the detonator, then moved deftly towards the core. “And here. The rest of it are things my people think they can substitute for but… clearly these are important.”

“What about the power source?” she tried to draw his attention away from touching her. She didn’t know how much longer she could hold back the urge to shove him away. If she could get him focused on something else, maybe he would be too enthralled to think about her. Plus she needed to know if they had isolated the wavelength Markov had settled on, if not she could buy herself more time.

He gave her a smile as he pulled a notebook close to them. “Best as we can guess, Dr. Markov must have created his own power grid to pull from. No one here has been able to crack it.”

_ Good. _ It gave her enough to spin something, if she was convincing enough. But she couldn’t just come out and ask for a wifi connection. She knew Cooper well enough to know he’d see through that. No matter how much she acted like she wanted to put this puzzle back together, if she was the first to suggest a computer she knew he’d see through that.

“Well no offense,” she said with a half smirk. “But no one here is me.” Then she let her smile fade, and sighed. “Markov didn’t have me working on the power source though. I was relegated to codes and casing around the core. He used someone outside the team to help him build the connections for it.”

Cooper weighed that. “He trusted someone not on his hand picked team?”

She took a step around the table, surveying the plans again. “He didn’t choose the team, he just approved them. He had his hands in so many projects when he was building this. Kept a lot of it under the table I’m sure. Once Malcolm Merlyn brings you to his side he expects loyalty. So anything he worked on around that time, Merlyn would have wanted to own. I had my suspicions he had an outside guy, someone who shared his brilliance and vision. I can guarantee I’m right.”

“Then that begs the question,” Cooper leaned into the table, meeting her eyes. “Why didn’t this mystery man bid on the device when the auction went live?”

She hadn’t thought he’d press on this, or that he’d have questions she couldn’t answer. Cooper was one of the smartest people she had ever met, and she couldn’t keep underestimating him. So Felicity managed to rolled her eyes, before she asked. “What did you do, check out the competition?”

“I didn’t need to since there was only one other bidder,” he said picking up the notebook, then glanced at her. “You didn’t know that?”

She shrugged, even though the look on his face did give her pause. “I didn’t even know Malcolm put the device up for auction.” It wasn’t technically a lie, since she had hoped he didn’t do it.  The email still sat on a flashdrive in the Foundry. She wish she could bury her guilt as easily as she had buried those words. She didn’t understand Malcolm. Why had he been so insistent on burning the world? But when she realized Cooper was still watching her she added. “Why would I know the other bidder?”

“Because you’re working for him.” He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

Nothing could vival the blows that had already come with seeing Cooper once more or seeing the Markov device. But his words, the implication, it came really close.

“Cayden James put in a bid on the device?” she managed to keep her focus on the plans, even though she felt far from calm staring at it. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“He popped up that entire week all over the dark web,” Cooper motioned to the air. “A lot of Markov’s stuff went on sale after his plane went down. A Helix handle was present at like five auctions I saw alone. Like a collector going after first editions.”

She had to unpackage all that, but later. She couldn’t let Helix or Cayden distract her. She had to focus on getting her plan in motion. Even if the notion that her current boss was apparently obsessed with a dead inventors research and tech sent some mind numbing ripples out.

“Coop,” she said drawing his attention back to her. She added a smile for good measure. “If we want this to work, you’re gonna have to track down Markov’s guy.”

She waited, bouncing back on her heels to see if he’d take the bait. Cooper used to love being the smartest person in the room, but the only thing she ever saw him love more was watching her be that instead.

“I wouldn’t know where to start,” he said as she slid up next to him letting her fingers slip over his wrist. “Didn’t know he existed until five minutes ago. Unless you have a suggestion?”

She did, she just needed him to want it enough. “Maybe.”

“Babe we’re on a time table.”

“And I need to know something before I tell you,” she challenged.

He looked amused, which was good. If he thought she was playing instead of playing him, this would go better. “The power source needs to be--”

“Speaking of power,” she had waited this long for the right in, she wasn’t about to back down now. “Mind telling me what you were doing with my code in the city’s power grid last week?”

“Mind telling me what  _ you  _ were doing?”

“A job,” she replied keeping her voice noncommittal. “Helix pays great, but a girl’s gotta supplement her income sometimes. And my client wanted a certain area of CCTV offline for a few hours. So what’s your excuse?”

“Brother Eye was paid half a million to knock anyone out of the system in that area,” he gave her a sly smirk as his arms bracketing her body. “Didn’t know it was you until I started the hack. If I had, I would have asked for more.”

She let those details settle in her mind. Someone paid Cooper half a million dollars to kick her out of that system. Someone like who though? Not Deadshot, he didn’t have the capital or the motivation to pull off something like that. But someone did. The only silver lining she could think of was that whoever paid Brother Eye, didn’t seem to know about the Markov device. Which meant their plans don't include leveling the city. 

She nodded, looking down at the plans again. “‘We’ll always have Paris’, Markov used to say that about his colleague. Then he’d mutter something in French. No one paid him any mind, until one day I did some digging. He wasn’t cursing under his breath, he was saying the name of a small, French newspaper. I think that’s how they communicated with each other.”

“And you think this guy would still check it? Even after Markov died?”

She met his eyes, bringing up as many old feelings and torments as she could. “If it was you, if it was a way to know that you had been okay when I had nothing else to go on, even after I should have lost hope, I would never stop looking.”

The words had come out with so much force and passion, such a realness clung to each of them. But only because as she spoke them, she thought only of Oliver and leaving him all those years ago. She checked that paper every day to make sure he was safe, for a glimmer of where he was. 

Cooper smiled as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Write up something, and we’ll send it in. Maybe we’ll get lucky and this guy will be as sentimental as you are.”

She held the triumphant smile back just barely. She’d been thinking of the message for a while at that point. She knew what she needed to say, she just hoped against everything that Oliver or Tommy would be able to decipher it.

_ To complete the Magicians Last Stand _

_ Smoke on the water, seeks the gambit to bring an end to the center of it all. If interested, please contact the epicenter. _

She agonized over the wording for twenty minutes before handing it to Cooper. She had already logged him into the right paper, and watched as he read over her message, and then copied it word for word. A gambit indeed. Because if this didn’t work, if the guys didn’t get her message in time, she didn’t know how else she could stall Cooper. And she didn’t think he would take it well when he learned she lied to him. 

_Come on Oliver._ _Find me._

\---


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies!
> 
> So glad you're enjoying what's going on so far. Can't wait to show you everything that's in store... so read on!
> 
> -Cassie

Even as Tommy sped through the streets of Starling heading for the Foundry, Oliver found that it was still too slow.  He needed to  _ get _ there.  To gear up.  To track down as many leads as he could until he found her.  Felicity had been missing fourteen hours already, and he felt like all of the time so far had been wasted.

And the man that had taken her?  Cooper Seldon? Well he was going to have another thing coming the instant Oliver found them.  Rage boiled in his veins, making Oliver see red every time he thought about Felicity’s ex. He felt positively homicidal.

Finally, Tommy pulled into the small parking garage that had been installed at the back alley of the Foundry.  The car was barely in park before Oliver opened his door and raced inside. And there were far more people than Oliver had expected to find.  His eyes slid from Diggle and Alena at the computer bank to Sara, Thea and…. Roy?

At least his suit, which usually stood in an illuminated lucite case on the far wall, had been covered, meaning that part of his secret was still secret.

“What’ve we got, Digg?” Oliver asked, moving toward the computer chair where it already felt wrong to have someone other than Felicity sitting in.

Diggle nodded toward the door.  “Who’s your friend?”

Oliver glanced back, Akio looking around the space with rapt attention.  “Long story,” he huffed. The space, despite its size, was beginning to feel cramped.  Too many people; no, it wasn’t that. Too many  _ new _ people.  People that had no business in the Foundry.  People that couldn’t,  _ shouldn’t _ know his secret.

“Tracked down your lead,” Digg said, not wasting any more time.  “All public records indicate that Cooper Seldon committed suicide four years ago.”

“And the NSA file that Tommy’s contact couldn’t get into?”

“Still being a tricky bastard,” Alena said, typing furiously on the keyboard in front of her.  She darted a glance up to Oliver. “So you’re the boyfriend? Nice to meet you, although I wish the circumstances were different.”

“Same here,” he sighed.  And then Oliver turned back to Akio.  “Think you could take a crack at it?”

Akio nodded, moving closer.  “Whatever I can do to help,” he said quickly.  Akio grabbed a seat and pulled it up beside Alena, dropping his bag beside him and pulling out a laptop.

“Ollie?” Thea’s voice called.  He turned to find her moving closer.

“Not now Thea,” he warned.

“I just wanted to see how you’re--” she paused, coming to stand in front of him, a frown forming on her face.  “Okay, I know I should have texted you about Roy--”

“Not. Now.  Thea.” He repeated, enunciating each word.  He couldn’t think about it, lest he explode. Roy Harper in the Foundry?  Did that mean that Thea’s boyfriend knew the truth about him? At the very least, Roy knew that the space below the club wasn’t simply a workout space for them.

“Fine,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.  “But you’re not the only one worried about her Ollie.  I’ve known her a lot longer than you have.”  

Her voice wavered at the end and Oliver felt some of his ire dissolve.  He pulled Thea in tightly, because even though she didn’t know the truth about how Oliver and Felicity had met three years ago, he knew how much the two meant to each other.  Thea stayed tense for only a fraction of a second before hugging him back and letting herself go slack in his arms. His baby sister- always trying to care for other people.

“I’m sorry, Speedy,” he said quietly.  “I just hate that I wasn’t here. I feel like I’m playing catch up just to know what’s going on.”  He gave her another quick squeeze before letting her go. “And don’t think that we won’t talk about what your boyfriend is doing here, because we definitely will.  I just don’t have the ability to deal with that right now too.”

A faint flush crept up her cheeks and she nodded.  “We can go. I was just checking in with Sara and Diggle to see if they’d found anything else out yet.”

“I’ll let you know as soon as we do.”

Oliver turned back to Alena and Akio, sitting side by side at Felicity’s desk.  They were speaking quickly and in hushed whispers. Felicity wouldn’t believe the lengths they were going through to find her.  He could barely believe it himself. Not only that Akio had snuck onto the plane back to Starling, but that Tatsu hadn’t demanded that he come right home.  Not that she’d been appreciative of him leaving that way. But she said she understood why he’d gone. And made Oliver promise to take as good of care of Akio as he had in Russia.

“I’ve seen this kind of encryption before,” Akio said, pulling almost everyone’s attention toward him.  “It’s similar to the one ARGUS uses. I had to sneak into their network a couple years ago to… to make sure they weren’t coming after us again.”

Oliver’s eyes darted to Tommy who gave him a look that said ‘I just work there’.  “Can you crack it?” Oliver asked.

“I think so.  My decryption key is already working on it.  Should be just another--” A beep sounded and Akio grinned.  “Got it.” He clicked through files, scanning the text. “Cooper Seldon, former NSA asset went rogue two years ago after joining a group called Brother Eye.  They’re mostly black market scammers and hackers. But have recently begun…” Akio’s voice trailed off, a flicker of horror in his eyes before he could mask it.

“What is it, Akio?”

The teenager swallowed hard before reading from the screen.  “The group known as Brother Eye has recently begun dealing in weapons of mass destruction.”

“That must be what they want with Felicity,” Tommy said, moving closer to tighten the circle around Akio and Alena.

“Why would they want Felicity for--” Alena asked, but broke off suddenly when she looked at Tommy.  Recognition hit her features as she pieced together who he was.

“My father,” Tommy resigned.  “He blackmailed her into working on the Markov device that leveled part of downtown Starling a few months ago.”

“And the email I intercepted on her behalf the day he died,” Alena said, piecing everything together.  “He said he auctioned off plans for one of the devices.”

“He what?” Tommy asked, incredulous.  “Why wouldn’t Felicity have said anything?”

“I knew,” Oliver said quietly.  “But without Markov, the chances of anyone being able to recreate it were almost impossible.”

“I guess someone figured out the other variable,” Tommy said, angrily.  He turned and stalked off, heading for the garage.

Oliver huffed a sigh, scrubbing a hand down his face.

“I’m sure he just feels guilty,” Alena said softly.  “Not that it’s literally any of my business. But I imagine with what his father did, he’s got plenty of guilt on his shoulders.  And now with Felicity gone, seemingly over the same device.” She swallowed hard. “I just… I know they’re friends.”

Oliver nodded.  “Thanks,” he answered.  “Any chance someone can figure out where this Brother Eye is operating out of?”

Both Akio and Alena took off typing again.  Oliver rounded the desk to watch their progress.  And then an alert came up, beeping incessantly as flashed across the screen.

“What’s that?” Oliver asked.

“I didn’t do anything,” Alena said, clicking into the alert.  “Oh, it looks like something that Felicity had set up.” She squinted at the screen.  “But what does a Paris newspaper have to do with anything?”

“Did you say Paris?” Hope sprang into Oliver’s chest, flooding his veins as he hoped against hope that he hadn’t misheard her.

“Yeah,” Alena frowned.  “Hold on. Let me translate.”  She typed a command into the computer, translating the results.  “Personal ad published four minutes ago.” She pulled the text up onto the computer screen for them to read.

“Tommy!” Oliver shouted, his eyes scanning the words.  This was her, it must be. He remembered the ad that Tommy had taken out before coming home last week.  And before that, way back in Russia when Felicity had explained that she and Tommy had decided that if they’d ever gotten separated, that was how they’d find eachother again.  He hadn’t imagined at the time that it would work, but both times, it had. Felicity and Tommy had found their way back to each other through those damned personal ads.

He read the words over and over again, trying to make sense of them.  

Tommy came jogging back.  “Do we have a lead?”

With a nod, Oliver pointed to the screen.  Smoke on the water, it was her handle. And Gambit must be referring to him.  But what was the epicenter? And the center of it all?

“Magician’s last stand?” Tommy questioned.  “The League called my father the Magician. Is she referring to the Markov device?  Trying to tell us- if we didn’t already know- that it’s why she was taken?”

“Could be,” Oliver shrugged.  “But if she had internet access, why not just contact us directly?”

“The message, although from her, must have been routed through Cooper,” Alena said.  “But Akio and I can probably hack into the email server for the Paper and find out where that email came from.  Any sort of IP address will get us close, maybe even find their exact location.”

“Do it,” Oliver said, before turning back to Tommy.  “Hey.”

“Just frustration,” Tommy said with a sigh.  “No lingering effects of the Pit. I swear.”

Oliver nodded, taking a step to close the distance between them.  “Tensions are high right now, I get that. But if you’d rather take some ti--”

“I’m fine, Ollie,” he confirmed.  “I’d rather be here helping. After all the pain and destruction and hate that that damn machine caused.  I need to help you find her.”

“Okay,” Oliver agreed, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder.  They had to stay strong, together, for them all. And he was about to say something else, about how he was glad to have Tommy back, glad that they were able to do this together, because Oliver wasn’t sure he could do it alone.  But he didn’t get the chance.

“Hey guys!” Akio called, excitement lighting his voice.  “I think I’ve got something!”

\---

Felicity had never been a fan of waiting. And with Cooper sitting so close it brought up so many memories along with it. She could still bring forth the smell of burnt coffee and sweat as she trudged her heavy black boots across the floor to see him in prison. His watery smile still burned at the back of her mind when she looked at him now. How could someone so full of passion and drive to do good turn out so far from that?

“What happened?” she couldn’t help when the words tumbled out. “After you joined the NSA, I mean. What did they have you doing?”

“That’s classified,” she watched him flinch as he said the words, like they had been a reflex so ingrained he hadn’t known what he was saying. “I just… don’t worry about, babe.”

“Coop,” she said as she took a step or two closer to him. “You took the fall for me. You could have had a future, a life, but you didn’t, because of me. I just… I want to know what it would have been like if they had known it was me.”

 “You really don’t,” he replied, setting the tablet down. “Look whatever I did for the NSA, it doesn’t matter now. Because now I can do the things I want.”

She nodded, feeling a chill run down her spine. Had this darkness always been there? Had she been blinded to it when she was young and in love? Or had it sparked after they parted ways?

“I mean at least they let you go right?” she shrugged, sliding up next to him, but careful not to touch him. She couldn’t keep those pretenses up any longer. “That’s gotta count for something.” 

A look ghosted over his face, and Felicity had to suppress a shudder when he turned a smile towards her. “We’ll go with that.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Any government agency doing things under the radar isn’t just going to  _ let _ an asset go,” he scoffed as he said it. And her mind couldn’t help but flash to Amanda Waller. “But if you’re smart enough, you can evade them for as long as possible, until you have what you need to make a deal.”

Warning bells flashed in Felicity’s mind and she tried her best to hold a poker face. “The Markov device… you don’t want to level a city with it. You want to use it to get your freedom.”

“I always knew you were smarter than me, babe,” he moved until he was in front of her. “But I’m gonna get so much more than my freedom from this device. I’m gonna ask for the world on a plate. And when I get it, I’m gonna do exactly what Merlyn did, resell the plans to the highest bidder.”

“Coop,” she breathed it out as she fought to control her emotions. She wanted to find a way out of this. A way where someone she used to love could regain control over his soul. But as she looked into his eyes, she could see that the boy she used to know was gone. He hadn’t been Coop in a really long time. 

He reached out to stroke her cheek, but she moved away. She rounded the table and kept her gaze focused on the plans, her eyes burning with the unshed tears. She wanted to go home. She wanted Oliver to hold her tight and let her cry in his arms. But she would have to hold it together a little bit longer.

“I kinda hoped when I kissed you earlier, that I’d been wrong about things,” he said shaking his head. “That the guy I’ve seen you around with wasn’t anyone serious.”

She knew he meant Oliver, but her emotions weren’t under control enough to meet his eyes. “Cooper…”

“I know I was gone. But really, some rich, playboy? He part of some long con you’re running?” And when she still didn’t look up, he added.  “Or are you in love with him?”

She gave a small nod, as she looked up to meet his eyes. She couldn’t lie, not about that. “We’ve only been dating for a couple of months. But yeah, I love him.”

She didn’t know how he’d respond, how her words might fan a flame she didn’t consider. She had to get him thinking about something else. Anything else.

“I was afraid,” she said, letting her vulnerability shine through just a tad.

“Of me?”

“No,” her words came out too forceful as she shook her head. “Not you. But of what it would mean for you trusting me with this. This device… it’s my greatest regret,” she waited until his eyes locked on hers again. “We let Malcolm perverse it into his own vengeance. That’s not why I started coding, and it’s not why Dr. Markov did either. We wanted to create something that would leave a legacy. Malcolm wasn’t in it for that. He would rather watch his own legacy burn to the ground then admit he was in the wrong. He should have let us control what happened to the devices. But instead it was clouded by his own anger.”

He folded his arms as he kept his eyes on her. “What would you have done with them, if it had been up to you?”

She smirked, feeling terrible as she did. “I would have sold them to ARGUS.”

“That’s a very classified organization for you to know about?”

“Well, you’re not the only one who knows how to hack,” she replied. “And once upon a time they wanted to recruit me. Because of my code.”

“How’d you get out of that?”

“I played the game,” she said taking a piece of paper as she wrote out what she could remember of the last few weeks on the Markov device. “And when I had them where I wanted them, I gave them something more valuable in the moment than me.”

She slid the page over to him and watched as he read the code carefully. She could feel every nerve in her on fire, if this didn’t work, if he questioned her? She doubted she could hold him off until Oliver and the others showed up. But she had to do something, even if it meant playing the game against him.

“What’s this supposed to be?”

“It’s a code for a digital casing,” she said as she took a breath. When she found out what Malcolm had planned for the device, she had started thinking about it, thinking about a way to electronically contain the blast within the device. Like a force field of ones and zeros. She hadn’t gotten far, but over the last month or so she’d been dabbling with it again. “If we implement this into the device you offer to the NSA, then you control when they use it.”

“That seems too risky.”

“So is offering them a device in exchange for your freedom and expecting them to hold to your terms,” she countered. “You want them to take you seriously, you want them to leave you alone and never come for you again. Give them a reason to. If you can remotely diffuse the device whenever you want, then they have no choice but to hold to your terms.”

“That’s pretty genius.” He took a step closer to the drafting table. “But I don’t think we have that kind of time.”

“Why not? We’re still waiting on Markov’s guy. I can work up the code. And then hopefully when he contacts us, we put it all together,” she flourished her hands in a grand reveal kind of way. “And bam it’s practically gift wrapped.”

“But we still don’t have the time,” he insisted. “I wish we did. It’s a great idea. But with or without Markov’s guy, this thing has to be done by tomorrow night.”

He had said already they were on a time table, but she assumed it was a want to finish the device and move from this dank basement. But the way Cooper spoke, it sounded like he was waiting for someone to come for them. 

Then she played it through her head. Cooper had been sitting on these plans for two months. But just started popping up in the area in the last few weeks. He put himself out there, using her code with his recent job. Making his presence known. Not just to her, but to anyone who could be looking for him. And that included the NSA.

“Why tomorrow?” she had to ask, she had to get him to tell her.

He slid a look over to her and sighed. “That’s when they’ll come and try and take me back. So I don’t have time to waste on a digital casing that’s gonna give me more leverage. I go in with what I have or I don’t come out alive. Because I’m done being a puppet for them government.”

She felt a wave of nausea hit her hard. Even if she didn’t love him, even if the person he used to be was gone, she didn’t like hearing him speak like that. Like there was only one way out of this. And she couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to her if the others didn’t come before the NSA showed up. She wanted to believe they would come, she held hard to that belief, but she could feel the fear icing over in her stomach as well. 

“Well then,” she steeled herself as best she could and made sure when she looked at him that none of her fear shone through. “We better get back to work.”

\---

They all moved, like metal reacting to magnets, back to the computer bank where Akio and Alena sat.  All eager to hear what Akio had found. Tommy was among them, although his thoughts were still a hundred miles away.  Or maybe not a hundred. Maybe just the 5.3 miles from where they were in the Foundry to the ruins of the Merlyn Global building.  To the carnage and destruction that still laid in piles of rubble interrupting the otherwise pristine downtown skyline. His father had built that tower, and the legacy that had gone along with it.  And with one press of a button to turn on the Markov device, it had all been destroyed.

“What did you find?” Oliver asked, his voice mixed with concern and ire.

Tommy was only half listening, the message from Felicity playing on a loop in his head.  He couldn’t believe his father had auctioned off plans for the device- ever the asshole, even in death.  How had Malcolm’s grief been so twisted? And how could it have taken Tommy so long to see it?

“The license plate from the flower shop,” Akio said, pulling the image up on the screen.  “The car registration was a dead end, it was reported stolen two weeks ago in Central City.  But using the city’s traffic cam network, I was able to create an algorithm that would track the movements of that specific car.  And right now that car is parked outside an abandoned building owned by a Unidac Industries in Pennytown.”

“Unidac?” Oliver questioned, turning to Tommy.  “Isn’t that the company that Markov worked for, before Malcolm acquired it?”

He nodded absently.  “Yeah,” Tommy answered.

Oliver moved immediately to the case where his suit was.  Tommy noticed for the first time that it was covered, curtained off to hide the Arrow suit from view.  Diggle had probably done it before bringing Alena down there. Oliver cleared his throat, looking around the space, and then ripped the curtain down, grabbing his gear from the case.

"Hey Ollie maybe we shouldn't--"

"It's Felicity!"

Tommy held up his hands in surrender. 

“He’s the Arrow?” Alena whispered to Akio.

Akio grinned in response.  “Pretty cool, huh?”

“It definitely… explains this whole thing a little more,” she said, gesturing to the training equipment on one side of the space and the medical supplies on the other.

“Diggle, Sara, suit up,” Oliver said, strapping his quiver to his back.  “Tommy, you coming?”

He nodded.  If they were getting Felicity back tonight, he was definitely going to be a part of that.  Emotions swirled within him, a molotov cocktail of anger, frustration, grief, contempt making Tommy feel like he were ready to explode at any moment.   _ Another _ Markov device.  Hadn’t they just all risked their lives two months ago for this?  Hadn’t they all paid enough to rid the world of this monstrosity? Apparently not.

Oliver moved back to the computers.  “Akio, Alena, you two talk us in. Comms are on the desk there.”

Akio bounced in his seat giddily, reaching for a comm and settling it into his ear.  “Copy that Boss,” he said with a grin.

“Akio,” Oliver warned.

“Right. Got it.  Code names?”

“Arrow,” Oliver said, pointing to himself.  “Boy Scout, Canary, Bodyguard.” He pointed to Tommy, Sara and Diggle respectively.  “You guys are-” he hesitated for the briefest instant. “Foundry.”

Tommy could see the battle in Oliver to speak those words.  Because Felicity had always been Foundry, and calling anyone else that just felt… wrong.  Even Tommy felt that way, and he didn’t work with Felicity in his ear every single night the way Oliver did.

“We’re going to get her back,” Tommy said with all of the conviction he possessed.  

Oliver gave a nod before turning to Sara.  There was a moment of unspoken agreement between them.  “Sara and I will take the bike. Diggle and Tommy-”

“I can drive,” Tommy offered.

Diggle gave him a nod and they all made for the weapons locker, taking whatever they thought they might need.

“No one in or out while we’re gone,” Oliver called over his shoulder, hitting the button to retract the garage door as they moved to the garage.

“No one in or out!” Akio called back.

And then they were out into the darkening evening air.  Tommy settled back behind the wheel of his car and Diggle climbed into the passenger seat, holstering one of his guns.  Tommy pulled out of the garage behind Oliver, with Akio and Alena in their ear, giving them directions to the Unidac building in Pennytown.  

“Bodyguard,” Diggle muttered under his breath.

Tommy glanced over.  “At least you’re not the son of the most hated man in the city.”  He’d meant it to lighten the mood, but his words found a deeper meaning as they settled in his own chest.  He cleared his throat, keeping his mind on the mission. “Besides, isn’t that technically what your day job is?”

“Security for the club,” John corrected.

“But that’s at night,” Tommy said, splitting hairs.  He grinned, feeling a little lighter with the banter.  “Can’t really be a day job if it’s at night.”

“You’re lucky you’re behind the wheel.”

Tommy made a face.  “Oh, come on. Are you telling me because you’re working with Oliver now, his brooding has worn off on you?  We’ve had some good times together Digg.”

John gave him a tight smile and Tommy wondered if maybe there was more going on than just his complaint about the moniker Oliver had given him.

“You’re really worried about her, aren’t you?”  Tommy asked.

“I should have made more of an effort to teach her some self defense,” Diggle said quietly.  “I guess I just figured with her in the Foundry, she’d be safe. I never expected that she could be a target for things beyond the mission we took on with Oliver.”  He paused. “And I hate that I left her there alone. I should have gone in with her, instead of sitting outside in the car. Should have--”

“Digg,” Tommy interrupted.  “You did exactly what you should have done.  There was no way to know that someone was going to take her like that.  And if you’d been in there, I promise you it wouldn’t have ended pretty.  Either or both of you could have been injured if you’d been there to try to stop him.”

“I promised him, man.”

“I know.  And Ollie knows you did everything you could.”  They were flying through the streets of Starling, Akio and Alena giving them green lights all the way and keeping the cops from getting wind of the sports car and motorcycle winding through the traffic like it was a street race.  “But I firmly believe that this guy that took her, Cooper. That he needs her. He targeted her specifically, either for her work on the Markov device, or because he thought she could help him expedite making another one. He won’t hurt her.  Not until the machine is done. So I have to believe we have some time.”

Diggle was quiet as they approached the Unidac building.  Oliver maneuvered the bike passed the broken chain link fence, but it wasn’t wide enough for the car.  Tommy parked in a darkened area around the side of the building and they met up with Oliver and Sara inside the fence.

“Any info on this place, Foundry?” Oliver asked.

“Three floors,” Alena said quickly.  “I’ve briefly rerouted a satellite and it looks like there are four heat signatures inside.  Three are on the North end of the building clumped together. The fourth is dead center.”

“Digg and I can take the three on the North,” Sara said, swinging her bo staff expertly around to rest on her shoulder.  “You two go get our girl.”

“There’s no guarantee it’s her,” Oliver said, his tone unreadable.

And something about it seemed to ring true in Tommy.  There was still something they were missing, something about Felicity’s note that didn’t make sense yet.  She referenced ‘center’ twice. Both in saying the ‘epicenter’ and the ‘center of it all’. So what was the ‘epicenter’ and how did they contact it?

This might have been where Markov began work on the device, but the majority of it had been done at Merlyn Global, after Malcolm had brought Markov into the company.  It had been three years ago, when Malcolm promoted Felicity and pulled her into the whole mess too.

Diggle and Sara split off, rounding the building and disappearing inside a broken window on the north wall.  If this was where they were working on the device, wouldn’t there be more security?

“This doesn’t feel right,” Tommy said, as he and Oliver made their way inside.

“I know,” Oliver said tightly.  “There aren’t enough heat signatures here to be where they’re working.  And not enough working security measures either. Most of the windows are broken, and half the doors are busted through.”

They made their way through the first floor, checking rooms as they went.  But everything was quiet and abandoned.

“First floor clear,” Oliver said into his comm.

“Third floor clear.”

“Copy that, Arrow and Bodyguard,” Alena said.  “Converge on the second floor. Still showing four heat signatures in the same positions.”

Tommy moved up the stairs first, his gun drawn and cocked, ready to shoot if necessary.  Behind him, Oliver had an arrow nocked in position, ready to do the same. Ahead in the hallway, a thin stream of light poured through a cracked open door.  It was the only illumination in the hall except the bright orange EXIT signs at either end of the hallway. Tommy gestured his head toward the door and Oliver gave him a nod as they moved forward.

“Arrow, Boy Scout- Single heat signature is up to your left,” Akio said.

“Copy,” Tommy whispered in response.

Muffled voices came from further down the corridor, and then the sound of a struggle as Tommy assumed Diggle and Sara reached whoever was there.  But he couldn’t focus on that. He had to get to whoever was in the room straight ahead of them. He moved quickly and quietly down the rest of the hall, nudging the door open with his foot until he found who the heat signature belonged to.

In the center of the room, a man with dark hair was tied to a desk chair.  He was bloodied and he leaned forward like he was unconscious, his head falling forward to hide his face.

“It’s not Felicity,” Tommy said quietly, stowing his weapon.  

He moved toward the man, pushing on his shoulder until he was leaned back, and Tommy could see his face.  He was unrecognizable, bright purple bruises across his eyes, cheeks, and nose. Blood still dripped from open wounds.  Tommy’s touch roused him and he jerked back.

“I don’t know anything else,” he whimpered, his voice hoarse and pleading, eyes wild with panic.

“It’s okay,” Tommy said quietly.  “We’re not here to hurt you.”

The man nodded and Tommy could tell he was already beginning to lose consciousness again.  “Can you tell me who you are?” He asked quickly. “Or what they’ve done with Felicity?”

“Fel...ic...i…” the man repeated, before passing out again.

Tommy growled in frustration.  “Do you think he knows her?” he asked, glancing up at Oliver.

Oliver’s face was drawn, stoic under his hood.  Even if he hadn’t believed it was Felicity here, it was clear that part of him hoped it would be.

“Let’s get him out of here,” Oliver said.  “Canary, Bodyguard, what’s your--”

They appeared in the doorway an instant later.

“Three guards,” Sara said.  “Two are unconscious. The other left me no choice.”

Tommy pulled out a pocket knife and cut away the bindings on the man’s wrists and feet, freeing him from the chair.  Diggle moved to the man’s side, lifting him from the chair. Sara grabbed his other arm and they held him up between them.

This brought the man around again.  “I told him…” he said quietly, his voice quivering with the exertion.  “I didn’t… tell… anyone…”

“Didn’t tell anyone what?” Oliver asked.

“But he said...I was a loose end.”

Tommy frowned.  Who was this man, and how did he factor into everything that was going on?  He retrieved his cell phone and snapped a quick photo of him, sending it along to Akio and Alena.

“Foundry, I’m sending you a photo of the guy we have here.  See if you can get a hit on facial recognition. Sounds like he was involved in this somehow.  Maybe identifying him will help us get to Felicity.”

“Sara, do you think you can persuade any of the guards to tell us where she’s at?” Oliver asked.

A ghost of a dark smile flickered across her features.  “I can stick around and try.”

Oliver nodded and turned back to Tommy.  “Get him to a hospital?”

“Myron?” Alena’s voice said, hoarse through the comms.

“The guy from MIT?” Diggle questioned.

“Yeah.  It’s him.  I know it.”  Her swallow was audible through the static of the comms.  “Felicity thought he was the one using her code. He was Cooper’s roommate in college.”

“Apparently this Cooper guy really is tying up loose ends,” Oliver said.

Tommy’s eyes went to the man in question.  How did he fit into all of this? Just Cooper tying up loose ends?  Why now, after all this time? And what did it have to do with Unidac?

And then, like a literal lightbulb illuminating in his mind, Tommy finally fit the missing piece back together.  Unidac, Felicity, the Markov device. It wasn’t  _ here _ that Cooper was keeping her.  The epicenter really was the center of it all.  And Tommy knew exactly where it was.

“Alena, can you retask the heat imaging satellite to downtown Starling?” he asked.

“Yeah.  What are we looking for?”

“The ruins of the Merlyn Global building,” Tommy said, his mouth going dry at the thought of going back to the site of so many deaths, his father among them.  “Just like with any earthquake, there’s an epicenter. Felicity was alluding to it in her message to us. That has to be where they are.”

Tommy and Oliver were already heading for the stairwell.

“That’s odd,” Alena’s voice broke through the static of the comms a moment later.  “Twelve heat signatures on the perimeter of the building, but nothing inside.”

“Is there anyway to mask it, if someone is in there?”

“Sure, heat cloaking exists.  But--”

“Why would they need to guard a pile of rubble?” Tommy asked.

“And another question,” Akio said.  “What in that pile of rubble could be drawing enough energy to power half the city?”

“I’ve got one guess,” Oliver said.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys,  
> Sooo, good news bad news situation here. The good news is this chapter is amazing and I think you'll love it.... Time for the bad news. It's Nanowrimo time again!
> 
> Cassie and I get so busy in November as we write our novels, that posting becomes difficult. So we are gonna take another hiatus (I know I'm sorry). And start again come December. So I hope you enjoy this chapter. And remember you can ask us anything while on break, I'm gonna try to keep up with comments throughout the month.
> 
> love and hugs,  
> Kayla

“We have to move,” Oliver said heading back towards the bike, but Tommy caught his arm. “What?”

“Can we be smart about this for a second,” Tommy tapped on his comm and then spoke. “Foundry, any chances those goons tripped an alert to their buddies about us coming?”

“I mean, I suppose,” Akio said as he sucked in a breath. “But your friend there took them down pretty quick.”

Sara shrugged, as she handed Myron over to Digg. “Kid said the stolen car was here. Can you hotwire it and get him to Starling General?”

Oliver could see John out of the corner of his eye as he nodded. “I’ll drop him off and meet you guys downtown.”

Sara rounded the space and met his eye, even though he wanted to look anywhere else. If anyone would be able to see exactly what he was trying to contain it would be her. It wasn’t the first time they had been in a situation like this. Only last time it was Ivo and he had Sara and Shado. He wouldn’t let this end the same way.

“I’ll take the bike,” she said as she placed her hand on his shoulder. “Head to the south end, see if I can find my way in. You two stick together.”

“Sara,” Tommy called after her and she paused. Something between them, an unspoken need for them all to come out of this safe. They shared a common thread with Laurel, and he could see it written on their faces that neither wanted to bring her home bad news. 

“You too,” she replied and hopped on the bike, speeding away.

“Let’s go get our girl,” he said and threw Oliver the keys.

He should have kept under the speed limit, he knew that. If the SCPD pulled him over while wearing his gear, well things wouldn’t end in his favor. But as the seconds ticked, all he could think of was Felicity being in danger. He hated the feeling, hated being away from her. But mostly he hated that he chose to separate their projects. Because he had wanted to keep things about Slade a secret, Felicity was working on the hack alone. And maybe if he had told her about things, she would have told him about Cooper. He didn’t know for sure. But he couldn’t help and heap the blame on himself. 

“I was hoping I never had to see this place again,” Tommy said as he pulled to a stop across from the ruins of Merlyn Global. “It feels like a black hole, you know? Destroys everything around it.”

“Actually black holes just pull everything into it,” Alena said through their comms. “So they don’t pull things apart, more like pulls them close together?”

“Foundry?” Oliver cut in.

“You want me to shut up?”

“Maybe talk us in instead of giving us an astronomy lesson.”

He could hear the typing, like an echo through the ear piece. It only made him miss Felicity all the more.

“So you know those twelve heat signatures from earlier?” Akio asked.

“Yeah?”

“Well Canary narrowed it to five,” he replied.

“You could have left us some,” Tommy muttered, and he heard Sara’s laugh.

“Can you counter the heat blocking whatever?”

“Heat cloaking,” Alena corrected with a hint of annoyance, but she reigned it in. “And that’s a negative. Whatever they did to cloak themselves, it’s running off a different power source. But there’s another thing.”

Oliver groaned as they exited Tommy’s car. “Do I want to know?”

“You know how you said not to let anyone in or out?”

A spike of panic ran through him. There wouldn’t be time to call anyone back to the Foundry if they were in trouble.

“Don’t do that to him,” Akio said sounding exasperated. “She means you’re getting a call to the direct line. An L. Michaels?”

“Patch her through,” Tommy said as they drew their weapons and headed towards the building. 

Oliver could see two guards up ahead, but the street lights on the block still hadn’t been replaced, and he and Tommy were surrounded by shadows. Thankfully. He moved and grabbed one by the arm, bashing his bow against the man’s skull as Tommy did the same with his gun.

“Tommy,” he could hear Lyla’s clipped voice. She did not sound happy.

“In the field right now, Harbinger,” he countered shooting Oliver an eye roll. “What can I do for you?”

“Want to explain to me why you asked Lexi to try and access an NSA level file earlier?”

Oliver moved ahead of him and listened as Tommy trailed behind.

“Long story short, saving Felicity right now,” he hissed as a reply. “Besides she didn’t get into it.”

“No but I saw the ping on it twelve hours later. Who did you have access it?”

“Could we have this conversation when I’m not breaking into my father’s old office building?”

Oliver paused, hearing movement coming up on their left. He signalled to Tommy, as he reached for the man, pulling him into a choke hold until he passed out.

“Boy Scout,” Lyla said, her voice on edge. “What are you getting into?”

“Can you just cut me some time with the NSA?” he whispered back. “If you saw that, so did they, and they’re probably already looking for this guy. All I need is you to get the director to push them back a little.”

“Waller had to fly to Sidney,” she replied. “Put me in charge until she’s back. Lucky for you I have a contact at the NSA. I will see what I can do, but you owe me six months of paperwork.”

“Missed you too,” Tommy said as he pulled someone from a dark hall and shoved him against the wall. “Hi.”

The man struggled to grab something at his belt, but Oliver moved swiftly and took an arrow out, pressing the tip to the man’s throat. 

“Where’s your boss?” He let his voice stay at a low rumble. 

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.” he spat out, but Oliver could see the fear glowing in the low light. 

“You have ten seconds to change your answer. I won’t ask again.” 

He looked between him and Tommy, weighing his options no doubt. Then nodded behind him. “We cleared a stairwell off the parking garage. It leads into the basement. Can’t miss it, there’s flood lights every twenty feet. Don’t kill me.”

“Wasn’t planning on it,” he said, then pulled his fist back and connected it to the man’s nose.

“Even I felt that,” Tommy said meeting his gaze as he shook out his own fist. “Think he was telling the truth?”

“No reason to lie.” 

Be he still felt nervous as they followed the man’s instructions. The further into the depths of Merlyn Global they moved, the more he felt like he’d crawl out of his skin. So many lost their lives to that night. And while he didn’t carry the weight the same way Felicity and Tommy would, he still wish he could have done more. Every time Felicity woke from a nightmare, he knew came from that night, he wanted to take it from her, and feel the pain for her. She didn’t deserve the guilt. And neither did Tommy.

“Whatever happens, whatever we see, look you need to--”

“We’re not here to unpack my issues,” Tommy cut him off with his gun raised forward. “Don’t worry about me.”

He nodded as they came up to what looked like the final hallway. Torn, plastic sheeting acted as a curtain in front of them. And he could hear the soft rise and fall of Felicity’s voice beyond it.

He hadn’t realized how much he was shaking until the movement ceased, until she centered him enough for him to move forward.

He had hoped they would have the element of surprise. But when they pushed through, Cooper grabbed for Felicity, holding a gun to her side.

He stiffened as he saw the barrel pressed against her ribcage. His brain screaming to act.

“Coop,” she said, addressing the man. “What are you doing?”

“Come on, babe, you think I don’t know you tipped these guys off?” he crooned against her ear.

The only thing that kept Oliver in place was that gun. If he could get Cooper to point it away he could shoot it out of his hand, but he couldn’t risk Felicity.

“I’m actually impressed,” he continued, speaking more to Felicity than to them. “But see I had my guys follow up on your paper lead. You know the same wording was used a handful of other times. Plus the only IP address that clicked into it came from right here in Starling. It was clever.”

“I just…” But he gripped her arm tighter and cut off her words.

“I trusted you Felicity,” he said. “I thought you wanted to help me. But instead you tip off the local vigilantes? Guess I should be happy at least it’s not your boy-toy Queen right?”

“Let her go,” Oliver growled as he nocked an arrow into place. “You won’t get out of this.”

“I think I will,” he replied, finally looking over at them. “You see, you’re gonna let me walk out of here, with Felicity. Or we’ll see how fast it takes her to bleed out.”

“You don’t need to do that,” Tommy was lowering his gun as he took a tentative step forward. “Give us Felicity, and you can leave here. We’ll even let you take the device plans.”

“Coop you can take the whole thing,” Felicity said her voice low. “Take it, finish it, and gain your freedom. You don’t need me.”

“But I do need you, babe,” he said as he kissed her hair. “I’ll do you one better. I’ll leave the device. Call it a gift, but Felicity comes with me.”

“That’s not happening,” Tommy gave up pretenses and raised his weapon again. “Let her go and we won’t kill you.”

“Already a dead man, so it won’t make much difference.”

He could see a plan formulating on Felicity’s face when she looked at him. An entire conversation passed between them in the blink of an eye. And as he gave her a slight nod, he knew exactly what he had to do. 

He removed the arrow, returning it to his quiver as he lowered his bow. “If you hurt her, you’ll live to regret it.”

Cooper reached behind him, grabbing things from the drafting table and pulling Felicity along with him.

But just before they were out of sight Oliver tossed the  flechette towards Cooper, at the last second the arrowhead opened as a small tracker latched on to his boot. 

Tommy looked at him and he could see his best friend’s fury all over his face.

He held up a hand, and waited a full thirty count before he spoke again. 

“This is what Felicity wanted,” he said, pulling his phone from his pocket. “And we’re gonna catch Cooper, before he can do something dangerous.”

“Who the hell are you calling?”

“Those are the tracker’s we put on criminals that the SCPD needs to catch,” he replied as he let out a sigh. He waited as the line rang, then heard the distinct sound of someone picking up. “Detective Lance?”

“You again? What the hell is it this time?”

“I have someone you need to track right now.”

“Look I’m headed home, my shift is--”

“He has the plans to the Markov device,” Oliver cut in, his words even deeper with the voice modulator. “And he’s kidnapped a mutual friend of ours.”

There was a short pause as he heard Lance throw his stuff into his patrol car. “Send me which tracker you used.”

“Thank you, Detective.”

If there had been another way he would have followed Cooper on his own. But he needed more help. And he trusted Quentin. He just hoped Felicity could keep Cooper talking long enough for the recording device on the tracker to do it’s part to. And he hoped the detective sped through every red light as he went.

\---

They had found her.  Oliver and Tommy- somehow already back from Japan, had actually found her.  Not that she’d doubted they would. Felicity trusted the two of them implicitly.  How soon after finding out she was missing had they gotten onto a plane? She couldn’t have been gone long- barely a full day by her own estimation.  Which meant that they’d only been back in Starling for a few hours at most.

Felicity tried to force calm into her nerves as Cooper held a gun to her as he faced off with Oliver and Tommy.  She had met Oliver’s eyes, and as if she’d already watched the scene play out in her head, she knew exactly what he needed to do.  She gave Oliver an almost imperceptible nod, willing him to understand.

“If you hurt her, you’ll live to regret it,” Oliver had said, lowering his bow.  And her heart swelled in her chest, despite the circumstances. Her eyes ticked to Oliver’s hand.  There was something else in his hand now, a smaller arrowhead, one that they’d worked together to create.  It was a tracker.  

As Cooper moved her, Oliver threw the arrowhead, landing it right at Cooper’s foot.  And then she was out the door with him. Cooper pushed her through the hallway.

“Everyone to the main hallway,” Cooper called.  “Stop those vigilantes!”

Men appeared from darkened doorways, moving swiftly by them as she and Cooper moved toward what she assumed was an exit.  It felt so surreal, oddly reminiscent of how he’d taken her from Helix the day before, that Felicity almost laughed.

“Why’d you have to call them?” Cooper asked, his hand rough around her arm, guiding her through the meandering path.  “I thought we were on the same page, you and I.”

Felicity let out a yelp as he dug his fingers deeper into her arm.  “Coop, you’re hurting me.”

“You hurt me too,” he growled.  “I thought it would be like the old days.  You and me against the world. But if you’d rather work against me, that’s fine.  I’ve forced plenty of people into submission before.”

His eyes darkened, his face turning to a sinister sneer as he pushed her out into the cool night air.  The same van that he’d taken her in was parked right outside the door, and he shoved her inside, climbing in after her.  He reached for a zip-tie and bound her hands to the handle behind the driver’s seat. He threw the plans down beside her.

“Where are we going?”

“Like I’d tell you,” he scoffed, climbing into the driver’s seat and sped away from the ruins of the building.

Felicity stayed quiet, watching him in the rearview mirror as he muttered to himself, one hand on the steering wheel and one hand casually holding the gun he’d pointed at her before.  What had happened to Cooper in the last four years?

He dropped the gun, reaching for a cell phone and pressed a button on it to connect him to someone like a comm or walkie-talkie.

“Liam, what’s your twenty?” he asked, swerving into oncoming traffic to round a car moving too slow.  There was no answer on the other end. Silence stretched long and thick as Cooper continued driving like a mad-man through Starling’s streets.  

“Dammit!” He shouted, throwing his phone across the van.  “Did your vigilante friends do this? No, how would they have found the building?  There was nothing to lead them there. Unless. Unless they found the car.” He slammed his hand into the steering wheel and cursed again.  The van jerked hard, nearly sending it out of control. But Cooper composed himself, righting the vehicle and meeting her eyes in the rearview mirror.   “How’d they find that building, babe?” he asked. “Who is working with them?”

“I...I don’t know,” she stuttered, finding that for once in her life, words were failing her.  How many times had her life flashed before her eyes in the last twenty-four hours? More times than she could count.  Every time he’d gotten angry, every twitch of his fingers toward his gun.

Distantly, sirens began wailing, but Felicity couldn’t tell which direction they were coming from.  Had Oliver called the police? She’d expected him and Tommy, Diggle and Sara to take the van and Cooper out themselves.  She already knew that Cooper wouldn’t live to go back to jail. He’d told her as much himself. He was a man desperate for freedom, and four brick walls and bars across doors and windows would never be his fate.  Not if Cooper could help it.

“Coop.”  Felicity let desperation color her voice as she spoke.  He met her eyes in the mirror again. “This isn’t going to end well.  But if you let me go--”

“No,” he said quickly, firmly.  “I can’t do this without you. And without this device, I’ll never get my freedom.  It’s you and me, babe. Whether you like it or not.”

She swallowed hard, her eyes slipping closed.  “Oliver will never stop looking for me,” she said quietly.  “As long as you’re keeping me, you’ll always be on the run.”  She paused, choosing her next words carefully. She needed to convince him.  “But he’s got money Coop. More than you can imagine. Enough to help you disappear.”

“Felicity,” he said, an eerie calm to his voice.  “This device is the only way I can ever be free from looking over my shoulder every minute.  And if you don’t shut up, I swear to god I’ll cut your tongue out. You don’t need it to help me build this thing.”

Blood froze in her veins and Felicity turned her face away from him, unable to even look at him without wanting to wretch.  The innocent boy she’d known at MIT was gone. He’d died the day he got arrested. And the person who held her life in his hands now was a stranger, a wraith with the face of the boy she’d known.

The distant sound of sirens grew steadily closer and Felicity wished there was something else she could use to strap herself into the cavernous space inside the van.  The tie on her hands wouldn’t keep her from flying all over the place should Cooper crash or be crashed into by a squad car.

Cooper pushed down harder on the gas, the van lurching forward through an intersection with traffic speeding toward them from both sides.  A police cruiser raced through the intersection behind them, lights and sirens blaring as they closed in. Felicity prayed to any god that might be listening that she would make it out of this alive.

“Come-on-come-on-come-on!” Cooper shouted, forcing the van to go faster, even as the streets narrowed and the traffic thinned as they reached the outskirts of downtown.

Felicity’s eyes scanned the front seats for the gun that Cooper had dropped.  In the chaos, it had slid off the passenger seat and was resting just a few inches from where she was kneeling behind him.  If this ended badly, the way she expected it to, she needed Cooper to not have access to a weapon. Otherwise it might end with suicide by cop.

Ahead, several police cars stretched across the road, doors open and guns drawn and aimed.  But Cooper didn’t slow. In fact, he sped up, intent on running the officers down. Felicity moved slowly, her eyes darting between the line of cars they were fast approaching and the gun that her knee was almost on top of.

“What are you doing?” Cooper seethed, meeting her eyes again.

“Trying to keep myself balanced for when we ram into that line of cars,” she spat back.  “Not like you gave me a seatbelt back here.”

One of the officers shot at the van, but it wasn’t a bullet.  The small device latched onto the hood and pulsed for a few seconds.  Then it stopped, and so did the engine of the van. An electromagnetic pulse.  She and Oliver were still in the works with an arrow with that capability, but maybe he’d helped Lance make it work in bullet form.  Because yes, that was Lance, she could see now.

The van rolled to a stop and Felicity flung her knee backward, a hard  _ thunk _ coming a second later as the gun hit the back door of the van.  She pushed her feet up to the driver’s seat as Cooper spun around and she pushed with her legs, trying to break the handle she was tied to.

Cooper flicked out a knife and she moved her right leg to him instead, kicking as hard as she could, sending him reeling back into the dash.  His head connected with the glass of the windshield and he looked dazed. All around, officers approached the van. Some in uniform, others in plain clothes, and more in tactical gear, with large white letters displaying ARGUS and NSA across the chest and back.

Saved _. _   Felicity was  _ saved _ .  She moved both feet back to the driver’s seat and pushed as hard as she could, until the handle gave way.  Her mind screamed for her to grab the gun, to point it at Cooper and make him stay until the cops got to the car.  But she didn’t want them to think she was working with him. So she stayed, eyes glued to Cooper, who was still stunned to inaction, until the van door slid open.

Detective Lance stood there, eyes weary and hard, gun raised and pointed at Cooper.  His eyes went to her and they softened. She wondered if it were his paternal instincts kicking in, knowing that she was friends with Laurel and Sara.

“Miss Smoak,” he said.  “I got a call that you might need some help.”

Something inside her broke as she let out a shuddering breath.  She nodded and Lance reached one arm out for her, pulling her from the van to stand on shaking legs.  She could barely keep herself upright she was shaking so hard.

Behind her, Cooper’s voice yelled obscenities after her, but she didn’t turn.

Paramedics crowded her, looking her over for injuries.  There were some scrapes and bruises, and deep cuts in her wrists where she’d struggled against the zip tie to free herself, but otherwise she was no worse for wear.  At least not physically.

Car tires skidded to a stop somewhere out of sight, and a second later she heard his voice.

“Detective,” Oliver said, eager and impatient.  “Where is she?”

And then he was there, filling her vision and pulling her tight.  He’d changed out of his gear and was back in street clothes. His eyes and hands roamed over her, checking her the same way the paramedics had.

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

Felicity shook her head, not trusting her voice.  Keeping her jaw firmly clamped shut seemed to be the only way to hold the tears at bay.  Even still, the sob rose in her throat, threatening to escape.

Oliver pulled her close, wrapping her protectively in his arms.  He let out a shuddering breath, as if convincing himself that she really was there.

“You gave us quite the scare,” Tommy’s voice came from behind her.

“I’m sorr--”

“Shhh,” Oliver hushed her.  “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“I should have--”

But he broke her off with a kiss.  So urgent and so insistent that she lost herself in it.  She forced from her mind all of the events of the last day and focused only on the feel of his lips against hers, the smell of pine and musk that was wholly Oliver.  His hands slid up her arms and she tensed, the tender flesh of her upper arm where Cooper had gripped her pulling her back to reality.

It hadn’t just been a nightmare.  It had been real and horrifying and Felicity wasn’t sure how to move past it.

Oliver released her, meeting her eyes.  “You  _ are _ hurt,” he said, concern lacing his features.  He glanced over at Tommy. “I’m going to get her checked out.  Do you want to--”

“Already on it.”  And he disappeared.

“What is Tommy on?” Felicity asked, her brow furrowing.  “And what about Japan? Did he--”

“He’s fine,” Oliver assured her.  “The people we needed found us, and he’s… he’s Tommy again.”  He swallowed hard, and Felicity wondered if the emotion from it all was threatening to overwhelm him the way it already had her.  “He’s having Cooper transferred to SCPD. He and Lance are going to question him about the device and the auction.”

“In an official ARGUS capacity?” Felicity asked.  “Does Lance know that he’s…”

Oliver shrugged.  “If not, he’s about to.”  And he led her to where an ambulance was parked nearby, bright lights of red, white and blue illuminating the whole area in a strange mockery of a rave dance floor.

And through it all, Oliver kept his eyes and hands on her, as if he were afraid that letting her go would make her disappear again.  Diggle and Sara showed up a moment later and Felicity couldn’t help but smile. They were turning out to be a better team than she ever would have imagined.

“Foundry,” Oliver said, placing a hand to his ear.  “Just checking in. We’ve got her.”

Felicity frowned.  Diggle and Sara were both here.  So who was back in the Foundry on comms?  Thea? “Foundry?” Felicity questioned. “Who did you let in my seat?”

Oliver huffed a laugh.  “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

\---

He leaned against the side wall, keeping his eyes trained on Cooper through the two-way glass. Lance had made sure he was cuffed to the chair, both hands and legs. But Tommy had seen men get out of such restraints before. And though he wanted to project calm and stoicism, if Seldon so much as tried, he planned on putting him through that table.

The door opened behind him, and he didn’t turn as the detective walked up next to him.

“How long?”

He knew what he was asking, knew exactly which questions were running through the man’s mind. Laurel had asked him the same ones a few months back. But this was different. And he didn’t feel shame in his secret coming to light now.

“Almost three years,” he said shifting to meet the man’s eyes. “I got recruited in Russia, after I convinced the director of ARGUS to drop a different asset she was pursuing. I wanted to keep her hands clean.”

“And instead got yourself caught up in a clandestine government agency.”

He shrugged. He had come to peace with working for ARGUS time and time again. There were moments, moments like this one, watching Cooper, where his job seemed to be the best place in the world for him.

“There are worse things I could be,” he said letting his mind think of his father. A man so twisted by hate and grief he destroyed everything that came in his path. Then he thought about Cooper, letting whatever the NSA had him doing turn him into something darker. 

“Does my daughter know?” Lance was watching him and he could tell that the detective was rearranging everything he thought he knew.

“She does,” he said with a ghost of a smirk. “Don’t worry she gave me a hell of an earful for it.”

“That’s my girl.” 

The door opened once more, and this time Tommy turned as Lyla entered, carrying a mountain of a file in her hands. 

Quentin motioned between them. “This your director?”

“She only wishes,” he said taking the file from her. “This is  _ all  _ his?”

“I had to call in three favors to get the unredacted file,” she replied lifting a brow. “So what do we say?”

“Thank you?” he offered in confusion. 

“You’re welcome,” she smiled. “It’s now a year's worth of paperwork.”

He rolled his eyes and opened the file. The thing was massive, black op deals, counter terrorism, defense contracts, foreign money laundering. The things they had Cooper do, he wasn’t just good at them, he was exceptional. But the body counts, the amount of blood staining his hands. According to one report, Cooper could have informed an entire apartment complex of a bomb testing, and didn’t. He let those people die.

“They want him back don’t they?” he asked as he handed the file to Lance. “After getting loose, causing all this damage, they want to take him back.”

“Tommy look--”

“After all this, you just want me to hand him over? He managed to slip them once, what makes them think he won’t do it again?”

“It’s not my call, Merlyn. You know we can’t interfere with another agency. If Seldon wants to deal with the NSA, then they’ll play that game. They think he’s worth something to them.”

He wanted to scream. After everything he did, everything he just put Felicity through, they were gonna let him walk? Let him go back to the same people who let him escape in the first place, who turned him into this? Not if he had anything to say about it.

“Give me ten minutes with him,” he took the file from Quentin and handed it back to her. 

“No.”

“I’m not actually asking,” he looked at her, and wished it was just the two of them. He didn’t know if he could convince Lyla with Lance right there. “I need to talk to him. Ten minutes and if he still wants to cut a deal with the NSA he can. I won’t even touch him.”

“Ten minutes, Merlyn, that’s it.”

“Thank you,” he whispered then looked back to Quentin. “You coming?”

The walked into the interrogation room and Tommy did his best to suppress every cop joke that rushed his head. Especially since he was on this side of the table. He settled himself against the back wall as Lance took the seat in front of Cooper. 

“So is this when the good cop/bad cop routine starts?” he joked, shifting his gaze between them. “Because I’m not impressed.”

“Yeah well we’re not impressed with terrorists either,” Quentin said as he laid his how file across the table. “You know we found you with enough evidence to charge you with conspiracy to commit domestic terrorism. And give us a little time we could tact on accessory to the murder of a hundred and seventy people.”

“I don’t think you have much time  _ detective _ ,” Cooper leaned in with a smirk, though Tommy could see his fight to keep it there. “I know my pals at the NSA are on there way here. And once they come you have nothing on me. I go back to not existing.”

“If that’s what you want,” Tommy said, and it earned him a look from Quentin. He couldn’t walk in the room with the detective knowing his plan, not when all of it rode on being the bad guy. “If you want to go back to being the NSA’s lap dog, we’ll leave.”

He made a move towards the door, but then he heard the scrap of the chair on the old linoleum. He knew he had Cooper at least interested. 

“I saw you with that vigilante,” Cooper said, and Tommy knew he had three sets of eyes on him. He could feel the two behind him, and was pretty sure Lyla was staring him down through the glass.

“We were after a mutual goal,” he said turning back around to see confusion and anger bloomed on Quentin’s face.  _ Good. _ He’d need that. “See ARGUS wanted the Markov device months ago. Before Malcolm Merlyn decided to make it go boom. Having a near working prototype, well it might just get me a promotion.”

He slid into the seat next to Quentin and folded his hands. “And I would love it if you worked on finishing it with us.”

“What?” Lance grabbed at his arm. “The hell you playing at?”

Tommy barely acknowledged him as he kept his focus on Cooper. “The thing is, if you agree to go back with the NSA, then we can’t work together. ARGUS and the NSA don’t exactly play well together. So if you want to continue this, you gotta turn down that deal.”

“And trade one sentence for another? Hell no.”

“You misunderstood, Mr. Seldon,” he glanced down at his watch he only have a few minutes left to seal this deal. But he would seal it. “You’d come work for ARGUS. Just like any other 9-5 job. You work, get paid, and then you go home to a cushy apartment, buying stuff off the internet with unlimited spending.” What had Felicity told him back at MG? “You’d have your freedom, Cooper. And I know for a fact the NSA isn’t gonna offer you that.”

“You can’t make him a deal like that? The amount of pain he caused in the last twenty-four hours alone should have locked up for twenty to life.” 

Tommy held a hand up to the detective as he left himself lean in. “This is your choice Cooper. The NSA is gonna walk through that door in less than a minute, and when they do you either say yes to them and never breath a free breath again or you don’t. And then everything you’ve worked for will mean something.”

The seconds ticked down, Cooper weighed his options as if someone were to weigh the weapon of their destruction. He met Tommy’s gaze, and he knew beyond any doubt that his plan had worked.

The door opened half a second later, and two men in suits filed in, followed by Lyla. The men took in Tommy and Quentin sitting there, then looked at Cooper.

“Mr. Seldon, we need to talk.”

“We don’t actually,” he said waving them off with the little slack his cuffs allowed. “No deal. I’m not signing anything, and I’m not coming back to the NSA.”

It’s the words he was waiting for, the conformation he had done his job exactly the way he needed to.

Both suits looked like they wanted to protest, but Lyla moved in front of them blocking their path further in, and drawing their attention to her. “As acting director of ARGUS, I suggest you gentleman leave. Before we have an issue.”

“This isn’t over Agent Michaels,” one of them said, in a low voice to Lyla.

“Actually Agent Carter it is,” she replied. “Goodbye gentleman.”

They left as quickly as they had come in. And while he doubted the NSA would let this go, this particular issue was over. 

“So when do we leave?” Cooper asked, drawing Tommy’s attention back to him.

He smirked, then placed a hand on Quentin’s shoulder. “ _ We _ aren’t going anywhere. You’re gonna stay and get booked. The DA’s likely to come sometime tomorrow to look over your case.”

“You just said--”

“And I lied,” Tommy moved around the table and let his hand grabbed hold of Cooper’s shoulder. He squeezed tight, leaning in. “That woman you took, she’s my best friend. So maybe you’ll think twice the next time you decide to try and involve her in your grand plans.” 

He let go and shoved as Cooper barely got his hands up to keep his head from hitting the table. 

“Then again,” Tommy added as he walked towards the door. “You’re gonna be locked up so long you won’t ever see daylight again. And now that you burned your only bridge with the NSA, no one’s gonna come and rescue you this time. Have fun rotting in prison.”

He and Lyla left, leaving Quentin to process Seldon. And he couldn’t help but feel a surge of greatness at what had just transpired. All those emotions, all that rage, and none of it boiled over like it would have even a few days ago. 

It was one thing to know his bloodlust was gone, but it was another entirely to feel that in control of things. It felt like healing.

“You said you wouldn’t touch him?” Lyla commented as they made it to the precinct doors.

He shrugged, then gave her a grin. “Guess I’m a liar.”

She glared at him. “Come on, Boy Scout, I’ll drop you at home on my way.”

And then he smiled for real. Because for the first time in months, he could actually go home. He loved the feeling more than he wanted to object to the dumb codename.  _ Home. _ he finally felt that too.

\---


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,   
> We're back!!! I said it would be December... didn't say when in December, but I'm not going to apologize. We've been very busy and stressed (mostly me). And it took some time to get back into in. But we're here with regular updates for the foreseeable future. So let me stop talking and you can get reading.
> 
> love from you're authors,  
> Kayla and Cassie

They’d called Thea as soon as they left the scene to let her know that Felicity had been returned safely.  Thea had wanted to come over and check on her, but Oliver had insisted on letting it wait until the morning.  Felicity looked tired and shaken and still somehow… in shock, from the whole thing.

He’d wanted to take her home, either to her place or his, but Felicity was having none of it.  He’d piqued her curiosity, she’d said. So after he carefully tucked her into the passenger seat of Tommy’s car, he drove her back to the Foundry.  

“Alena?” she questioned, before she’d even gotten out of the car, being able to see the girl through the open door as Oliver parked in the garage attached to the Foundry.  “But who is with her?”

Oliver raised a brow.  “I have a lot to tell you about our trip to Japan,” he said, cutting the engine and getting out of the car.

His pulse had barely recovered, and he’d vowed both outwardly and in, to never let anything happen to her again.  He wasn’t sure how he would make that vow a reality, but Oliver knew that he’d spend the rest of his life ensuring that neither of them ever again had to endure the events of the last twenty-four hours.

They made their way through the garage and into the main open space of the training area.  Alena bounded out of her seat, running for Felicity and pulling her into a tight hug.

“Owowow,” Felicity said, gingerly untangling herself from the other girl.  “Just bruises,” she explained. “I’m really alright, all things considered.”  

Oliver watched as Felicity met Akio’s eyes, studying him for a moment.  And then recognition hit her and her eyes widened to saucers.  

“Akio?!” she exclaimed, pulling him into a tight hug, despite her bruises.  “What are you-- How are you-- You’re here?!”

Akio let out a breath that was part laugh, part yelp at the ferocity of her embrace.  “I kind of pulled a fast one on Oliver and Tommy,” he said, as Felicity released him. His eyes darted to Oliver, and then to the floor.

“How did you even find each other over there?” she asked, surprise still coloring her voice.

“My dad,” Akio laughed.  “Flagged Oliver’s passport, just in case.”  He shrugged. “After everything that happened with ARGUS, I guess you could say we’re a little overly cautious.”

Felicity’s eyes went to Oliver, who shrugged.  “Told you there was a lot to tell you about our trip to Japan.”

“Like how you got there and back so quickly.  I expected you to be gone a week at least.”

Oliver nodded.  “Perfect storm of events,” he answered.  “But with what happened to you, if we hadn’t gotten the cure for Tommy when we did…” he let his voice trail off, his mind reeling in the impossible decision he would have had to make.  Thankfully, it hadn’t happened that way, and they were able to get the jet back to Starling just an hour after learning what had happened to her.

Alena cleared her throat.  “I guess I should probably...go?”

“No, stay!” Felicity said.  “I think there’s booze around here somewhere.  And I think after today, we could all use a drink.”  Her eyes went to Akio. “Except you. Because even though you are tall… impossibly tall, in fact, I know you’re not 21 yet.”

Akio shrugged with a sly grin.  “I won’t tell if you won’t.”

“Water for you,” Oliver said dryly, surprised to find a smile on his face as he thought once more about the similarities between Akio and Thea.  Back in Russia, when he’d taken Akio to an aquarium, he’d vowed to do the same with his sister when he got back home. And even though Thea claimed she was too old, they’d both had fun the day they ditched their responsibilities and disappeared to go see the marine animals.

Oliver cleared his throat, and moved to the corner under the stairs, where extra bottles of alcohol were being stored for the club upstairs.  He grabbed a bottle of whiskey and a box of glasses and made his way back to the group. Felicity grabbed three glasses and Alena took the whiskey, opening it and pouring a healthy inch into each.

Oliver set the box of glasses down and grabbed a bottle of water for Akio.

“Where’s everyone else?” Akio asked, taking the water and opening it before taking a sip.

“Diggle took Myron to the hospital and then doubled back to help Sara at the Merlyn Global building,” Oliver said.  “And Tommy-”

“Myron?” Felicity questioned.  “Hospital?”

Alena shuddered beside her, her eyes focused on her drink.  “They tortured him,” she said quietly. “Left him for dead with three guards at a building in Pennytown.”

Color drained from Felicity’s face and Oliver took a step toward her, wrapping an arm around her as she swayed slightly.

“Maybe you should be drinking water too,” he suggested.

But Felicity shook off the suggestion.  “No,” she said, forcing a calming breath.  “This is… helping.” She paused, looking to Akio finished Oliver’s rundown of everyone else.  “And Tommy took Cooper to the police station. He said he was going to handle Cooper. Whatever that means.”

“It means,” Tommy’s voice came from behind them at the garage door.  “Your crazy ex boyfriend is going to jail for the rest of his life. On charges that run the gamut from conspiracy to commit domestic terrorism to possession of a weapon of mass destruction.”

“Damn,” Alena said with a whistle.  “Boy Scout doesn’t play.”

“Don’t call me that,” Tommy said, pointing at her.

She held her hands up in defense.  Tommy took the glass from her hand and drained the contents.

“Rude,” Alena said, taking the glass back from him and adding another pour to it.

“Surprised to see you here,” Oliver said, meeting Tommy’s eyes.  “I thought Lyla was bringing you home?”

Tommy nodded.  “She was going to.  But you’ve got my car, and well, I didn’t really get a chance to check on Felicity before I headed to the police station.  Didn’t seem right to go home before--”

Felicity pulled Tommy into a tight hug, her eyes shining with tears.  “Thank you,” she whispered quietly. “And I’m so glad you’re back.”

“Back atcha Smoak,” he said back, before releasing her and looking around the group.  “Digg and Sara aren’t back yet?”

“They’re taking care of the rest of Cooper’s goons,” Oliver explained.  “And then they’re going home. Like I suggest everyone else do.” He yawned, unable to stifle it.  It had been an insane day, and coming down from the adrenaline rush always left Oliver feeling stiff, achy and bone-tired.

Tommy nodded.  “Home sounds like the best thing you’ve said all day.”

“Umm, can someone give me a ride?” Alena said, a blush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks.  “Your friend Diggle practically dragged me here from Helix, and my car is still there.”

“I can drop you off on the way,” Tommy said.

“And Akio, you’re with us?” Felicity questioned.  “I need to hear the rest of the story of how you’re here.”

Oliver nodded, almost smiling at the thought that the three of them would be in an apartment together again.  It felt like the craziest deja-vu.

“You’re getting the couch this time, kid,” Oliver said.

Akio rolled his eyes, in typical teenager fashion.

“And how are you all getting home?” Tommy asked, glancing at the single car parked in the garage.

“Thea left her car here,” Oliver said.  “She and Roy left together earlier and she said I could borrow it.  So long as I promptly brought it back tomorrow morning.”

Quiet settled around them as the group broke up, Tommy and Alena heading for the garage and Oliver, Akio and Felicity for the main parking lot.  Felicity laced her fingers through Oliver’s pulling his tense focus away from the dark alley around them.

“Hey,” she said quietly, bumping her shoulder into his arm.

“Hey back,” he said, glancing down at her.  Akio was a few steps ahead of them, and Felicity pulled them to a stop.  “What’s wrong?”

She paused, eyes bright with unshed tears again.  But instead of speaking, she swallowed hard and shook her head.

Oliver jostled the car keys in his hand, wanting to press, to know everything that had happened, and everything she was thinking.  He already knew how much her participation in the Markov device weighed on her. He’d been there to comfort her after the nightmares that she insisted were nothing.  But she didn’t talk about it. Not to the extent that he could see she wanted to. There was still a gravity, a weight pulling her down and Oliver was worried that after what Cooper had done to her, that she might struggle to keep her head above water if she didn’t talk to someone.

“It’s okay,” he said softly, urging her forward, toward Thea’s car.  “Let’s get you home and we can talk as much or as little as you want there.”

Felicity nodded, leaning heavily into his side as she started walking again.  Oliver put an arm around her, holding as much of her weight as she wanted him to.  He wondered idly how he’d become such a juxtaposition. Simultaneously so hard and so soft.  He could let loose an arrow into someone without thinking twice, but around this woman, he was like butter on hot toast.  After the island, and ARGUS, and the Bratva, he’d never expected her. He’d even told himself once that he could live without her.  And he’d done it for two long years- some of the hardest of his life.

But Felicity Smoak did something to him, something miraculous and wonderful.  She made him better. She polished the rough edges, softening him until the jagged pieces of his soul felt a little more like they might fit back together again.  So if he could do that for her, if there was ever a way for him to show her the kind of compassion and acceptance and love that she’d proven to him time and time again, Oliver would do whatever he could to make her believe it.  He would do anything in his power to fix her broken pieces, to fit them back together, because that was what you did when you loved someone.

She was silent the entire car ride, her eyes watching the street lights blur passed the car.  Oliver knew, because he continually darted glances at her, his hand resting lightly on her thigh.  Akio seemed to sense the shift in the air too, because he was quiet in the back seat.

They pulled up to the front of her apartment building and Oliver parked.

“Home,” she whispered quietly, a single tear streaming down her cheek.

Had she considered that she might never see it again?  Had that monster made her question her life, along with her safety?  Cooper Seldon was lucky that he was already in police custody when Oliver had gotten there.  Even still, Tommy had to pull Oliver away from the cruiser where Cooper sat in the back seat.  He might have murdered the man with his bare hands, even with all the police around.

“Home,” Oliver agreed, and led her inside.

\---

Tommy felt ready to be home. To sink into his couch and let peace fall over him. So when he turned the key in the lock, and pushed the door open he couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Laurel curled up on one side, a pillow across her lap and a stack of files sprawled out in front of her. She stirred from her spot and her soft green eyes met his.

“Hey you,” he said, dropping his bag by the door as he moved across the space.

She sat up and grabbed the remote clicking off the television in the corner. He caught the tail end of the segment about the car chase and Cooper’s arrest, before she smiled. “You’re home.”

“I would have called but,” he gestured to the screen. “I think you know what happened.”

“The news didn’t name her,” she said, moving a pillow so he could sit down. “But my dad called me after you left the precinct. How’s Felicity?”

He let out a sigh, as he nestled into her side. “I think it’s gonna hit her in waves. But she’s tough, she’ll get through this.”

“Well I will make damn sure this asshole never gets out of prison,” she put her arm around him and played with his hair. “It will be my personal pleasure.”

“If any ADA could do it, it would be you,” he replied, leaning in to kiss her softly. He had missed her. Even when he came home for that short stint, he had missed being with Laurel completely. Missed feeling her in his arms without the weight of worry on his heart. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” She seemed to be searching his eyes for something as she placed her hand to his cheek. “Did you have to cut your trip short or… did everything go well?” 

He nodded, leaning in and kissing her palm. “Everything’s good. No more… side effects. It’s just me up here.”

“And how are  _ you  _ doing?”

He knew what she meant. And given the fact that he barely had time to process the end of his bloodlust before rushing back to Starling for Felicity, he hadn’t really thought about what that meant for him. “Another thing that might hit in waves.”

“Well I’ll be here for all of them,” she said with a smile. “No matter what.”

Watching Laurel, he knew he had to tell her everything about his time away. He didn’t want a single thing to ever come between them again. “What if I told you the things I had to do when I was gone those two months? What if they weren't things I’m proud of?”

She sat up more, but held his hand in hers. “Whenever you’re ready to talk about it, I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

“I left because I was dangerous.”

“I know.”

“And while I was gone I…” he didn't know how to say it. As the effect of the Pit faded, he didn’t know how to connect with it. He couldn’t give a voice to something that he couldn’t access anymore. “I had to do things to keep myself from becoming worse.” Her hand never left his, and it anchored him to the present, to the couch, to her. Always to her. “I had to hurt people to keep from getting worse. I tried to make sure they were bad people, I did everything I could to make sure. But they were still people, they had lives and families I’m sure. I just, I don’t want you to think that I didn’t want to avoid--”

She leaned in and kissed him softly, so soft he thought for a second he had imagined it. But when she pulled back and her eyes remained on his, he knew she wouldn’t leave. 

“The rest doesn’t matter,” she shrugged, as she ran another hand through his hair. “I know you Tommy. I know you better than I know myself. And I trust you, no matter what you did or what you do, I trust you.”

He pulled her into his arms, and kissed her. He started slow and sweet, but the passion between them ignited and soon her hands were under his shirt and Tommy was moving until he could stand. Not to break apart, but to pull Laurel with him.

He moved them through the apartment, knocking into lamps and walls, but none of it mattered when they finally collapsed onto the mattress. Too lost in each other to care. 

It was a couple hours later at least. Tommy had dozed off at some point, the jetlag and high stakes finally getting the better of him. But he didn’t mind. Not with Laurel’s head rested against his bare chest. He reached down and pushed a few strands of hair off her face. 

“No,” she muttered. “Still sleeping.”

“I know,” he whispered, and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I just… I was thinking.”

“Something good I hope.”

“I want to move in with you.”

She sat up, holding the sheet to her. “What?”

He hadn't planned it. But the second the words slipped out, he knew he wanted it more than anything. “Of course only if you want to move in together. We can stay here. Or your place, or we could get a place that’s just ours. I just… I want that next step with your Laurel. I want to go to bed with you every night, and wake up next to you every single morning. I want your shoes to litter our closet floor and all your novelty mugs to fill up like two whole shelves in our cupboard. I want your case files to cover our dining table because let’s be real, unless we’re having a dinner party we’ll always just eat on the couch. We could get a pet. Not a cat, since I know you’re allergic. But a dog. We could get a dog together.” She laughed at that and he took her free hand in both of his. “I want to live with you. So what do you say?”

She smiled and it was so radiant. “Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s move in together.”

She launched herself into his arms and it only took Tommy a second to flip them before he kissed her once more. “Should we start now or later?”

“Well it’s three in the morning, so I think it’s safe to say later,” she chuckled. “Besides you need to sleep.”

And with that she pulled him down again, tucking herself into his side. “I want to wake up next to you too. But not for like five more hours. Deal?”

“Only because I want to have you wrapped in my arms,” he replied, and pulled her closer. 

Who knew what the next day would hold. Especially when he headed back to ARGUS. But he would let those hits come when they did. Because for now he found everything falling right into place they way it was meant to. And he would enjoy it with Laurel by his side.

\---

It wasn’t until they had left the Foundry that the gravity of it all hit Felicity.  The fog that had consumed her since Cooper had taken her the day before, the surrealness of it all, it snapped away in the cool night air leaving her with nothing but the torn, broken shreds of what she’d become.  

She’d almost told Oliver all of it right then and there, staring up into his endlessly understanding eyes.  But she hadn’t been able to bring herself to speak the words aloud. It was all too fresh, too raw, too emotional.

Concern had etched into his features as he led her to the car, and the entire drive to her apartment.  She knew the weight of that particular stare. She’d been on the giving end of that particular stare for most of the last year, any time he went too quiet, or woke from a nightmare he hadn’t wanted to tell her about.  And she’d let him keep his secrets, because she’d known that sometimes, there were just things one couldn’t bring themselves to share.

Now, she knew that better.  She’d had her own nightmares for two months following the attack at Merlyn Global where nearly two hundred people had lost their lives.  Two hundred lives snuffed out, countless families and friends impacted forever on that day. Felicity’s heart had shattered that day, broken into pieces for each of those lives lost, each of those lives altered.  Because she had been involved, her fingerprints were literally all over the machine that had taken those lives.

And then Cooper had come to her, wanting to make another one.  Her stomach turned violently at the look in his eyes, the excitement, the anticipation.  He thought she’d be on board, that she would willingly, gladly help him make another one of those monstrosities.  Nothing had ever made Felicity as sick as that. To know that someone expected her to happily participate in creating something that would cause so much destruction.  Was that really how Cooper had seen her? Or had he become so blinded by the need to get out from under the thumb of the NSA that he would believe anything?

“Hon?” Oliver questioned, pulling Felicity from her thoughts.

He was holding out a mug to her, and Felicity took it, glancing down at the contents.  Her brow furrowed as she looked at the disturbingly pale coffee- without cream- that he’d given her.  And were they in her apartment? When had that happened? She had barely registered getting into the passenger seat of Thea’s car in the Verdant parking lot.  And she had no recollection of the drive home. No, she did remember the car ride home. Because she’d noticed the look of concern on his face.

The same look he was giving her now.

“It’s tea,” Oliver explained, his hand still on the mug, like if he let go, she’d drop it and spill it all over herself.  And maybe she would, forgetting she was even holding anything.

Felicity gave him a blank nod and brought the contents of the mug to her lips.  Did she even have tea in the apartment? If she did, there was no telling how old it was.  She breathed in the warm scent of it, chamomile and lemon.

“Thank you,” she said, eyes still on the mug in her hands.

He cleared his throat.  “Akio’s pretty zonked out,” he said quietly, gesturing to the teenager on the other end of the couch.  “How about we get you into bed so he can have the sofa?”

“Akio?” Felicity said, her brow knitting deeper together.  It took her another long moment to remember the events that had transpired after the car chase that evening.  Akio and Alena in the Foundry, working on her computer. She shook her head, trying to clear it. “Right, yeah.  He can have the sofa.”

She untucked her legs from under her, carefully standing so she didn’t spill the coffee that was warming her hands.  She glanced down. No, not coffee, tea. Her brain was refusing to function- emotions overwhelming rational thought, or any thought at all.  She watched as Oliver moved the pillow to the end of the couch and roused Akio just enough to get him to stretch across the length of the couch.  He covered the boy, like he’d done countless times in their tiny apartment in Russia, and then turned back to her.

Oliver placed an arm around her waist, gently steering her toward the bedroom.  “How about a bath?” he asked quietly.

Tears welled in her eyes as they moved into the bedroom and Felicity shook her head.  Her bottom lip quivered and she pulled it between her teeth to keep it from fully betraying her.

“Maybe a shower?” he offered, drawing small circles on her back with his fingertips.

Felicity shook her head again, eyes down on the floor.  She noticed now that she was shaking. First, a subtle shake of her hands as they held the mug of tea.  It didn’t spill, but as she moved to bring the contents to her lips, the tremor was more pronounced. And it seemed to take so much of her energy just to take a drink.  The liquid was warm and sweet in her mouth, and it soothed her throat as she swallowed.

Oliver reached for the mug, gently taking it from her hands before closing the bedroom door behind them.  He silently led her to the bathroom, turning the hot water on in the shower. The steam rose, creating a fog in the air that reminded Felicity of what had swirled in her head hours earlier.  

He faced her, hands at the hem of her shirt.  Oliver waited there for a beat, the warmth of his touch seeping through the thin fabric.  It made the rest of her shiver harder, as if she were realizing for the first time how cold she really was.  Slowly, he pulled the shirt up over her head. There was nothing sexual about his movements, although it was filled with all the tenderness that only a lover could provide.  

He removed her skirt next, and then her underclothes.  And then his. Oliver moved into the shower first, his hand trailing down her arm, until it gently clasped her hand, and beckoned her forward.  Felicity let him pull her under the hot spray of the water. It burned and scalded her wrists and the open cuts along her arms and legs. But the pain hurt less than the gaping ache in her chest.

Gingerly, Oliver pulled the elastic from her hair.  He lathered shampoo into her blonde locks, massaging her scalp as he went.  It only made her shake more, and the tears she’d kept at bay were slipping down her cheeks, mingling with the water until they were indistinguishable one from another.  Through it all, Oliver didn’t utter a word. He carefully washed her from head to toe, rinsing the dirt from her skin, cleaning the wounds he encountered as he went.

When he was done, he turned off the water and all of the warmth that the shower had provided leached away from her, making Felicity feel like ice as she stood there, dripping wet.  But Oliver- still attentive to her needs- wrapped a thick towel around her, smoothing it down her skin until she was dry. He helped her into clean panties and slipped her favorite of his t-shirts over her head.  And then he led her to the bed, tucking her in like she was a child.

Through it all, he’d asked nothing of her.  Not to tell her the rest of what had happened, not if she wanted anything.  He’d just taken care of her basic need for cleanliness and tucked her safely into bed.  He sat beside her on the edge for a moment, his calloused hand trailing a faint line down the side of her face from temple to chin.

Felicity closed her eyes, letting the sensation soothe her.  Tears still slipped silently from the corners of her eyes, disappearing into the dampness her hair had already created on the pillowcase.  Her breathing, which had been wild, wracking sobs in the shower, had slowed and evened out.

She felt the movement on the bed as he got up, and the pink behind her eyelids of the light in the room dimmed as he turned the bedside lamp off.  Felicity reached out and clasped his hand.

“Don’t go,” she said, her voice strained and low.  A desperate plea in the darkness.

“Never,” Oliver answered, and slid into the tiny space beside her, so that their faces were touching on the pillow.

Felicity slid backwards, giving him more space on the bed, and as soon as he was under the covers, he pulled her to him until her head found that perfect space in the crook of his arm where she and she alone fit.

In the stillness of the darkened bedroom, Felicity drew in a shuddering breath.  “He thought I’d be happy to work on that machine again,” she whispered.

“You don’t have to--” Oliver began.

“I do,” she said, her voice on the verge of breaking.  “I have to get it out of me. Or it will eat me alive.”

She felt his lips brush the top of her head, and he nodded.

“He said he knew it was my code.  And he realized that I really hadn’t become some corporate drone helping ‘the man’ get richer.”  She paused, her hand against Oliver’s bare chest. She let his steady heartbeat calm her until she could continue.  “Oliver… I am who I am today because of the grief I went through when I lost him. And I don’t just mean on the inside.  I changed everything about myself when he was gone. I pushed all of who I was with him into a box and locked it up in the depths of my soul.  My hair, my clothes, my goals. What if who I became isn’t who I’m meant to be?”

“You are exactly who you are meant to be, Felicity Smoak,” he said, with all the love and conviction she’d ever heard from him.

“How do you know?” she asked, her voice breaking on the last word.

His hand went to her hair, smoothing it down and tucking it behind her ear.  Her eyes had adjusted some to the darkness, so she could see the silhouette of him, and the whites of his eyes.  He was staring straight into hers.

“Because your hair, clothes and goals aren’t what make you who you are,” he said, almost silently, his breath warm against her face.  “Because given any opportunity, your first instinct is to help people, not hurt them. Because my soul knows your soul in every way imaginable.  And because when I met you, I was in one of the absolute darkest places I have ever been, and you were the light that shone through to get me out.”

“Oliv--” she started, but he held a finger to her lips.

“You don’t have to believe it right now.  I know how much things like this can shake someone.  You’ve been through some of the hardest things a person will ever have to live through.”  He took a breath, releasing it slowly. “But until you do believe it. I’ll be here, believing it for you.”

Felicity wasn’t sure how long after that it had taken her to fall asleep.  She only knew that when she did finally find sleep, she only did because of the protectiveness of Oliver’s arms around her, the constant beating of his heart perfectly in time with her own.

\---


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays lovelies! 
> 
> We're so glad to be back in the posting routine and bringing you regularly scheduled chapters. Just want to extend another thanks for sticking with us through two complete novel length stories (and this third one in progress!). We love hearing from you and love your likes, comments, reblogs, favorites, etc. And now, without further ado...
> 
> -Cassie

The next couple of days flew by for Oliver. Tommy had teamed up with Thea to take control of club stuff. Tommy hadn’t made any official announcements about being back, but he figured his friend was easing back into the Starling limelight. He left the petty crime stuff to Sara and Digg, because he couldn’t bring himself to leave Felicity’s side. 

He wanted her to know his words meant something. That he’d be there whenever she needed him. He wasn’t going anywhere.

Akio on the other hand would be. Tatsu wanted to come and pick the boy up herself, and while Oliver felt the spike of panic at any of them being in the same city as Waller’s operation, he wasn’t going to argue with the mom. So she was set to fly in the next day. Until then Akio was on apartment lockdown. He wasn’t budging on that.

Oliver busied himself in the kitchen as he made breakfast for everyone. Pancakes and eggs, which had been his go to meal the last few meals. He’d have to make a trip to the store sooner or later, the supplies were running low. Maybe he could convince Tommy or Thea to go for him? Or John, John seemed like a better choice. Tommy and Thea would just bring back junk.

His phone buzzed on the counter and he had to turn the burner low, as he picked it up. 

The caller ID flashed ‘Samantha’, and he quickly pressed talk. “Hey, sorry I haven’t gotten back to you in a couple days. It’s been crazy here, and I wanted things to calm down before I called, and scheduled another visit.”

“It’s okay, I expect you’re a busy guy,” she said and he could hear William in the background making noises like he was playing with his action figures. It brought an easy smile to his face. “I, um, I actually called for a favor.”

“Okay,” he was on alert now, but he didn’t want to assume anything was wrong. 

Felicity’s footsteps padded down the hall, and he turned in time to see her tossing her hair into a ponytail as she reached for the coffee pot. She winked at him with a soft smile. 

“Well,” Sam continued. “I have a job interview today, and my sitter I was gonna use got called in for a subbing gig.”

“Samantha I don’t think even breaking a dozen speeding laws would get me to Central City before your interview.”

“I know,” she laughed. “The interview is actually in Starling.”

He paused his movements, vaguely aware that Felicity was watching him over her mug. He couldn’t have heard her correctly? “It’s in Starling?”

“I didn’t want to tell you, in case I didn’t get the interview,” she began and he could just picture the nerves on her face. “And then when I got it, I thought ‘hell who knows if I’ll even get the job’. So I was going to wait. But now Cathy has to teach. And I can’t exactly show up with my seven year old to a job interview.”

“Samantha?” he couldn’t help but chuckle. “You need me to watch William, while you’re at your interview?”

“Yes. I do.”

He looked over at Felicity, who was motioning between him and the phone. And he could already tell she was waiting for him to say yes too.

He wanted to, more than anything. But leaving her alone, leaving Akio, could he do that for a few hours? Because he doubted Samantha would approve of him bringing William to his girlfriend's apartment. 

“Did you want to drop him off or?”

“I really don’t want to see your mother, like at all,” she said, and he sighed. Because he technically lived at the mansion, right. “But you could meet us at the train station? Our train should be there in like thirty minutes.”

“I can do that,” he said. Because after the amount of things the last week that made no sense, that filled him with pain, he needed to see William. He needed to hold his boy. “I will meet you guys there.”

“Thank you, Oliver. This means a lot to me.”

“Of course,” he said with a smile. “I will see you soon.”

As he hung up he met Felicity’s gaze as she smirked. “I guess you have plans today.”

“I should have asked her to bring him here,” he said tapping his phone against his hand. “It’s just with Akio, I didn’t want to try and explain all that.”

“And explaining to your son, who doesn’t know he’s your son that you part time stay with your girlfriend, probably would be an interesting conversation to get his mother to approve.”

“Will you be okay while I’m gone?” he asked, as he placed his hands on her waist. “I don’t want to leave you alone if you need--”

“I’m not alone, I have a teenager here,” she motioned to the living room where Akio sat messing around on one of her older tablets. 

“You know what I mean.”

“Oliver, I love you,” she placed a hand against his cheek. “And I love how worried you’ve been for me the last few days. But I need you to go and see your son. Besides I have some things I need to take care of too.”

He gave her a confused look. “Like what?”

“Thea and Roy are gonna come hangout with Akio, so he’s not alone,” she said and took a breath. “And I was hoping it would be you, but you’re gonna be busy so I’m gonna ask Tommy to take me by Helix.”

“Felicity--”

“I don’t want to hear ‘no’ okay?” she shook her head. “I need to do this. I left some stuff there, and it’s important to me that I go and deal with it. I can’t hide in this apartment forever. I can’t let Cooper make me afraid to leave my own home. So I’m gonna go, and you’re gonna go. And when I see you later, I want to hear all about your day with William.”

“I don’t feel right about you doing this without me.”

“I know,” she said with a sad look in her eyes. “But I think maybe that’s why I should to it today. Look you are amazing, Oliver, really. And I love how much you’ve been there for me since… since that night. But if I can’t even go outside without you, then how can I ever be okay again? It’s one afternoon. And I will have Tommy with me. Cooper’s locked up. I will be fine.”

He didn’t want to let go, but he knew if she was asking, he had to back down. “You will call me every half hour?”

“How about I text you every hour,” she countered, as she leaned in and kissed him. “Plus I’ll keep Tommy by my side the whole time. Unless I have to pee, because gross.”

“Felicity…”

“I promise nothing heroic. I’m just gonna go deal with that and come home.”

“Okay,” he whispered, kissing her cheek. “I should go so I’m not late.”

“Say hi for me,” she said then rolled her eyes. “Not that William knows who I am.”

“Soon,” he replied with a smile. “It’s all I can think about. You meeting him, him meeting you.”

“And I can’t wait. But I will, so you won’t be late.”

“I love you,” he said as he pulled himself away and moved to grab his keys.

He was glad that the mid morning traffic wasn’t terrible, but Oliver still felt his nerves itching at leaving Felicity alone. He called Tommy just before he turned off at the train station exit.

“Hello Ollie.”

“Felicity told you I would call you, didn’t she?”

“We had a bet,” he replied. “I lost.”

“Just keep an eye on her, please.”

“Ollie, you have my word,” Tommy replied. “You know I won’t let anything happen to her.”

“Look she thinks she’s ready to go back there, but what if she’s not? What if she breaks down or…”

“Then I’ll be there. And I’ll take her home,” he said. “I know she means the world to you, but she’s important to me too. And I’ve got her back. I promise.”

He pulled into a spot and threw the car in park. “I have to go. Call me if you need anything.”

“Goodbye.”

Oliver rolled his eyes at he got out of the car. He knew he would worry about Felicity until she was in his arms again, but he had to push all that pain from his mind for a few hours. He didn’t want his son to ever feel the weight of things like that. He had a duty to William to shield him from all that darkness.

As he walked in the doors he scanned the crowd for them, and when his eyes landed on Samantha, then down to William he let the smile fill his features.

“Look Mom,” William said in a loud voice. “It’s Oliver.”

“I see that,” she said and let go of his hand so he could rush to Oliver’s side. 

“Oliver, hi!”

“Hey buddy,” Oliver said, ruffling his son’s hair. “Did you get taller?”

Will nodded. “I grew a whole half inch.”

“Wow, you’re gonna be taller than your mom before long.”

“Yep,” he nodded, then in a staged whisper. “She’s says I’m not allowed to stop being her baby.”

“Mom’s are good like that,” he winked back at him. “Hey.”

“Thank you for doing this for me,” she took a deep breath. “And thank you for agreeing to meet here. I’m just not ready for your--”

“I get it,” he cut her off, before she could mention his mom. “Do you know how long your gonna be in town?”

“The plan was to come today, and then leave in the morning,” she said, wincing slightly. “I should have let you know.”

“It’s okay Samantha. And now I get to hang out with William.”

“We’re hanging out today?” the boy’s eyes filled with wonder. “Can we go to the park, or the museum, or get burgers?”

“Whatever you want to do,” he said, then thought to add. “But if we get burgers we have to eat some veggies too.”

“You sound like my mom,” he groaned.

Samantha laughed. “That means someone nice made Oliver eat all his veggies too. So he grew up into a smart guy.”

“Let’s go,” Will said said as he tugged on Oliver’s arm. 

“Here is his booster seat,” she handed him over the seat and a bag. “Super easy you just put it on the seat then buckle him over it. He can buckle himself but I like to double check that it’s secure.”

“Okay, seems easy enough.”

“And the bag has a few changes of clothes. So if he gets dirty or something,” she said then handed him a piece of paper. “And here’s a list of numbers. You have my cell, but the place where I’m interviewing, my friend Cathy’s cell, a local pediatrician I looked up with great reviews and--”

“Poison control?” Oliver asked pointing to the last number on the list. “You think we might need that?”

“I’m trusting you with him Oliver, alone, in a city he doesn’t know. I’m taking a real leap of faith here in the hopes that it all pans out well.”

“You have my word nothing bad is going to happen to him,” Oliver said with a nod. “Go, rock that interview. We can drop you off, if you want?”

“It’s actually just across the street,” he pointed. “The Cafe Delmont. Someone is looking for a grant writer for this foundation. And I really hope I get it. It would be nice to put that writing degree to good use.”

“Well I’m happy for you,” he said with a smile. “And William and I will take you for ice cream whether you ace it or not.”

“Thank you,” she grinned. “For that and for, well for William.”

“Knock ‘em dead.”

“Bye slugger,” she said, leaning down to plant a kiss on William’s head. “I will see you later. Don’t be too hard on Oliver.”

“Bye Mom, have fun.”

The watched Samantha head out off and Oliver held tighter to William’s hand as the young boy asked. “Can we go to the museum first?”

“That sounds like the best idea,” he said, as they walked towards his car. “I haven’t been the the Starling Metro Museum in years.”

He set the booster seat down and then helped William hop up into place.

“Oliver can I ask you a question?”

“You can ask me anything you want buddy.”

“And you won’t get mad or tell my mom?”

Oliver felt a bit of hesitation at the boy’s wording but honestly, how bad could a seven year old’s questions be?

“Give me a sec,” he secured the belt in place, then shut the door and got into the front seat. “Alrighty, what’s up?”

Thank god he was out of the stall completely before William spoke again. Because he really hadn’t been expecting the boy to take a deep breath and then ask. “Are you my dad?”

\---

“So what you’re saying is,” Tommy said with a Cheshire Cat grin before popping another bite of waffle into his mouth.  “I’m a better brother than Ollie.”

Thea snorted and rolled her eyes across the table from him.  “Everything is always a competition with you, isn’t it?” she shot back, just as playfully.

Even still, Tommy noticed how the smile that landed on her face didn’t quite reach her eyes.  And the food that was on her plate was more pushed around with her fork than eaten. She’d asked him to meet her for breakfast, and after being gone for two months and only just before finding out that they were siblings, Tommy knew he couldn’t refuse.  

The previous two days had gone by in a blur of Laurel, ARGUS evaluations and meetings with lawyers from Merlyn Global.  Tommy still wasn’t sure what to do about his shares in the company, and he knew he needed to talk to Thea about hers, but there was still time for that.  And this morning was about what  _ she _ needed.

“I just thought that Ollie and I were in such a good place.  He was finally being open and honest with me. Finally coming around to the fact that Sara’s been training me.  I thought he was going to let me… I don’t know…” her voice trailed off and her eyes slipped from Tommy’s back to her plate of food.

“Join the team?” Tommy questioned, reaching over and placing a hand over Thea’s.

She shrugged halfheartedly.  “Maybe?” And then she pushed out a sigh.  “You probably think it’s stupid.”

“I don’t,” Tommy said, feeling his heart swell in his chest.  He knew the feeling of wanting to do  _ something _ .  He had experienced the same thing.  Once you were exposed to the darkness, it seemed you either became the darkness or learn to fight against it.  And now that Thea knew what kind of darkness was in the world, he commended her for wanting to step up and fight.

That didn’t mean he had to like it.  She was his little sister after all. He and Oliver shared that responsibility now, that deep-rooted need to keep her safe.  But Thea had more in common with the two of them than just blood. She also had their conviction, their drive to make the world better.  And Tommy knew that no amount of wanting to keep her safe, would keep her out of the fight.

“It just feels like it’s all messed up now.  I mean I knew Roy was looking into the--” she stopped short, glanced around and lowered her voice.  “The vigilante,” she whispered. “But I didn’t think he’d find the Foundry. Or be able to get in. Or want to be part of it all too.  It feels like too much too fast. And Ollie has never been good with that much change.”

Tommy chuckled.  Oliver had been through more than his fair share of change over the last five years, but Tommy knew what Thea meant.  Oliver liked things to be his way. He always thought he knew better than other people. He tried to keep others from darkness by taking on more of it himself.  But Tommy also knew that Oliver could do with a little less darkness in his life. Maybe adding to the team, lightening the load on his friend, was just what the doctor ordered.

“I think he just needs some time,” Tommy said.  “You know he was planning on doing the whole vigilante thing himself?” He huffed.  “No Felicity in the Foundry, no Diggle on his six. Just him and that damn quiver of arrows.”  He shook his head, remembering the first time he’d heard about the vigilante in the city. Or the first time he’d seen the figure clad in green leather.  The two of them fighting side by side in Laurel’s apartment when the Triad had come after him.

Tommy had sensed something familiar about him at the time.  Only he’d thought it was Diggle. And what an awakening that had been to find out it was Oliver under that hood.  The same night Oliver had found out about him working for ARGUS.

He shook his head, clearing the memories.  “I think Ollie’s realizing that it’s okay to not take it all onto himself.  Having Sara and Diggle out there with him. He might take a little longer to come around to the idea of you and Roy.  But keep training, and show him you know your stuff. That you can hold your own.”

“And Roy?”

“Roy too,” Tommy nodded.  “Maybe you two can take a class somewhere?  I’d probably hold off on having Roy in the Foundry for now.  Until Ollie has some time to process all the people that now know his secret.”

Thea nodded her head.  “You’re probably right.”  A hopefulness lit her features when she smiled at him.  “Thanks Tommy.”

“Any time.”

He glanced down at his watch and frowned.  “I should probably--”

“Go,” Thea said, shooing him away.  “Felicity needs you.”

“Can’t believe I owe her twenty bucks,” he said, shrugging into his jacket.

Thea laughed.  “We’re all fools in love,” she said, sounding wise beyond her years.  “And Ollie has it bad for our girl Felicity.”

Tommy wished he could tell Thea everything.  About how Ollie had been in Russia when Thea and Felicity had met three years earlier.  About how Felicity had blindly trusted Tommy when he’d wanted to criss-cross the globe to find his lost and thought to be dead best friend.  He wanted to tell her about the look he’d seen in both Oliver and Felicity’s eyes when he’d finally seen them together for the first time. How after only just a few short days, there was no denying the  _ thing _ between his best friends.  There would come a time when all those secrets would be revealed, Tommy was sure.  But this wasn’t it. And those secrets weren’t his to share.

“He sure does,” was all Tommy said back.  He dropped some cash onto the table to pay for their breakfast and stood.  “Give Ollie some time,” he said again. “It will all work out. I’m sure of it.”

Thea stood and wrapped her arms around him.  “I’m really glad you’re back,” she said as she clutched him tightly.

“Me too, Speedy.”  He kissed the top of her head before she released him.  “You better hurry and grab Roy and get over there too. I know Ollie doesn’t want the kid there alone.”

“And how do we know Akio again?”

Tommy blanched.  “You know, that is a great question for your  _ other _ brother.”  He turned and headed for the door.

“Don’t forget to sign payroll for the club before the end of the day,” she called after him.

“You got it, Boss,” Tommy called back.

The drive to Felicity’s from the diner was quick, and she was just coming outside when he pulled up in front of her apartment building. Thea and Roy pulled up behind Tommy and gave Felicity quick hugs before disappearing inside.

“How was the sibling breakfast?” Felicity asked as she climbed into the passenger seat and closed the door.

“Really good,” Tommy smiled, feeling that familiar swell inside his chest over the word ‘sibling’.  Malcolm’s life and death had wrought so much pain and anguish, that it was nice to think that something good had come from it too.  A sister. Tommy had always wanted a sibling growing up, even seeing how Thea followed them around the Queen Manor when she was just a small toddler and the boys were imagining epic adventures in the backyard.  But he’d never expected that they’d  _ share _ a sister.  Even if Thea always had felt a little like his own, from being around their family all the time.

“She’s worried about Oliver and Roy,” Felicity sighed.  “Really, she’s worried that Oliver might  _ kill _ Roy.”

Tommy shrugged.  “Kill might be a little far, even for Oliver.  But I wouldn’t put it past him to stick an arrow in the kid.”  He glanced at Felicity and winked. “How are you doing?” he asked, not so subtly changing the subject.

Felicity bit into her lower lip, her eyes darting from him to the road.  “Honestly, I’m not even sure anymore. I just know I couldn’t spend another day locked up in that apartment.  Me and Akio and Oliver all shut up in there together,” she huffed a laugh. “It was starting to feel like Russia all over again.”

Tommy pulled away from the curb and headed toward where the Helix office was.  He could feel the uptick in her nerves across the car and took the long way around.  He wanted to give Felicity time to collect herself, to prepare for walking back in there, after what had happened just a few short days earlier.

“I’m ready,” she said after a moment, noticing that he was driving in circles in the neighborhood of the building, without driving by it.

“You sure?”

She nodded, but didn’t answer beyond that.

Tommy made his way to the parking lot and found a space.  He cut the engine and turned to look at her. “Felicity Smoak,” he said, all business.  “You are one of the most badass women I know. So you are going to go in there and do what you have to do.  Because that’s the only way you know how.”

“Thanks,” she said quietly and unbuckled her seatbelt, popping open her car door.  She let out a shaky laugh as she asked, “Remember when our lives were simple? Just take-out food and movie marathons and--”

“--And trying to track my dead-best friend halfway around the world?”

“Yeah,” she said with a smile. 

“When you’re a kid,” Tommy said, returning her smile.  “They tell you it’s all ‘grow up, get married, have a kid’ and that’s it.  But the truth is, the world is so much stranger than that.”

Felicity’s brow furrowed, a hint of recognition crossing her face.

“It’s so much darker,” Tommy continued, outright grinning now.  “And so much madder. And so much better.”

“Did you just try to Jedi-mind trick me with a Doctor Who quote?” she grinned back.

Tommy shrugged.  “What, because I like James Bond, I can’t also secretly be into nerdy things?”

Felicity burst out laughing.  “I made you watch every season of the new Doctor Who and you said that it was, and I quote ‘a worse form of torture than ARGUS training’.”

“Eh, maybe I lied,” he said, opening his door and climbing out of the car.  “But it got you to smile at least. And that’s kind of what I was going for.”  He moved to meet her on the sidewalk and put a steadying arm around her. “You ready to do this?” he asked.

Beside him, Felicity swallowed hard.  She paused for a brief second, and then nodded.  “I’m ready.”

And together, they went inside.

\---

She didn’t feel ready. 

Panic swept through her as they made their way down the first two levels of Helix. It seemed like a slow day, not many tech heads milling around. But maybe that was for the best. Somehow the quiet felt like a death march instead of peaceful. But she knew what needed to be done. She couldn’t put it off any longer. If the whole ordeal with Cooper had been enough of a wake up call for her. And the sooner she dealt with this, the sooner she could move on.

She spotted Alena first, as she was rounding a corner set of tables.

“Felicity,” she greeted as soon as their eyes met. “And the not-boyfriend-friend.”

“It’s Tommy,” he replied with a grin.

“Of course it is,” then Alena refocused. “Wait what are you doing here? I figured you’d take like couple weeks at least of rest after the whole… thing.”

“I needed some stuff I left here,” she replied.

“I mean I would have brought you anything you needed.” she said with a sincere smile. “But I am really glad to see you. How are you? You know what stupid question. Can I help with anything?”

“You can tell me if Cayden is here,” she said before her nerves faltered completely. Tommy casted her a look of confusion, but she turned her gaze away. “It’s important I talk to him. Today.”

“He’s in the server room,” she said gesturing behind her. “There was this thing with the wiring. He’s trying to fix it.”

“Okay,” she took a step forward and found that Tommy has as well. She turned to face him and put her hands up to stop him. “I kinda need you to stay here.”

He let out a nervous laugh. “Is this why you asked for me to come with you and not Diggle?”

“John wouldn’t have left my side, and neither would Oliver,” she took a deep breath. “Tommy you have to trust me that I will be fine for a few minutes, by myself.”

“You just got back from being kidnapped,” he said, his voice low.

She rolled her eyes. “Like I don’t know that. But you’re right here. And Coop… He’s in prison. Nothing’s gonna happen to me. But if you and Oliver and John keep treating me like I’m gonna break every time I move, then I’m just gonna stay in this constant state of fear. I can’t live like that Tommy. I won’t.”

She had made up her mind. And even if a large part of her wanted to go hide in her room, she couldn’t give into it. She knew fear fed that part of her, and she would be damned sure to end that as soon as she could.

“I will be right out here,” he said as he relented. “I can go to your desk and grab what you need if you want?”

She nodded with a smile. “Just put anything that looks like mine in a box. I’m taking it all home today.”

She didn’t wait to explain as she left him and Alena there. She would explain later, after she got through this next thing. After she did what she had to do. 

She did find him in the server room, his arm buried in the back of one of the towers. By the looks of it, it seemed like a rat maybe ate through the wiring. That could take some time to fix. But if they rerouted the remaining wires to the next towers over it shouldn’t cause any gaps in downloads or processing.

“Felicity?” his voice caused her to freeze. Even though she had come looking for him, apparently she had managed to zone out. 

“Mr. James, hello,” she said taking a step forward. 

“That was rather formal a greeting,” he said as he stood from the ground, wiping his hands on a rag. “I was made aware of what happened to you a few days ago. I want to offer my sincerest apologies that our facility was not secure enough for your safety. Moving forward we will be cracking down on that.”

“That’s very kind, and I’m sure it will be a good thing for the other employees going forward.”

She danced around what she wanted to say, feeling the words so heavy on her tongue. She wanted to say them, she wanted to rip the bandaid so to speak, but she needed to get something out there before she did.

“I want to ask you something,” she took another step closer, proving more to herself than to him that what she wanted to say didn’t scare her. “It’s about Brion Markov, and his tech.”

Cayden gave her a nod as he registered her words. They both knew what tech she wanted to talk about. “Brion was a brilliant inventor, he’s devices would have changed this world in ways no computer program could ever predict.”

“So you were on the dark web buying his stuff to what? Collect? To launch his genius into the next decade? I need to know.”

“Felicity,” he said with a smile. “I assure you, whatever I wanted with Brion’s devices it was purely scientific.”

“That device hurt people,” she said, and she could hear the waiver in her own voice, but she continued anyway. “It  _ killed _ people. And anyone who has possession of those plans could do it again. They could hurt a lot more people, kill a lot more.”

“It would never have been my intention to use it in that way, Felicity. I know what damaged it did,” he cleared his throat. “I think about what would have happened had more of them went off, if they had gone off near my home, near my son, and it makes me furious that tech this good would be used so carelessly.”

“But it wasn’t careless,” she looked down and blinked the tears away before meeting his eyes again. “It was calculated. Malcolm Merlyn knew exactly what that device could do. It’s why he commissioned three of them, he’s why he kept a prototype in his basement, and it’s why he sold those plans to the highest bidder. Because even in the wake of his own death, he wanted the world to burn.

“I get you think you could never use it like that,” she said, taking a moment to clear her throat. “But the risk is too high for me. If you want to house Markov’s tech, I can’t stop you. In fact most of them might be safer here than with some government agency.”

“I sense a but on the horizon.”

She nodded slowly. “I can’t be apart of Helix anymore. I can’t do it. You and Alena helped me when I needed it, you kept Merlyn’s plan from entangling me with that legacy forever. And I can’t thank you enough for that. But if I want to eclipse my part in that device, if I want a part in building a better world. I can’t do it hiding in the shadows. I have to do it in the light.”

He folded his hands in front of him and smiled. “Well if that is how you truly feel than it would be unwise and unkind of me to try and convince you to stay.”

“Thank you for this amazing job, and for everything you’ve done for me.”

“I cannot wait to see what wonders you come up with next Felicity Smoak,” he said with a smile. “I look forward to a world of tech with you at the helm.”

She waved a final goodbye and then headed to find Tommy. 

She wouldn’t regret this. She knew that in her bones. But the quiet of Helix, knowing they were on the brink of doing so many things, that she might miss.

She spotted Tommy at her work space, playing with her Rubix cube.

“Hey,” she said as she sat on the edge of the desk, taking the toy from him. “You ruined my pattern.”

“Well good thing you’re smart enough to fix it,” he teased. Then gestured towards the direction she came from. “How did that go?”

“Good,” she said with a tight smile. “I can’t let the past define what I do next. Cooper or not, I was still hiding here, hiding from what happened, and my part in it. It’s time I try to use this brain of mine on my own terms. Not someone else's.”

“And what terms are those exactly?”

She shrugged, but some of the weight from the device felt like it lifted. “I don’t know yet. But whatever it is, I know I want it to change the world, for the better this time.”

“Well when you do decide,” he said, leaning closer. “I’m in your corner. And while you decide, I’m rooting for you too.”

“You’re a good friend Tommy.”

“Oh I’m aware,” he quipped as he took the cube back and set it in the box next to him. She saw how many things were in it. So much less than she would have thought for two months of working here. But then again, it seemed fitting. Helix had never been where she was meant to take root. And while she didn’t know yet where that place would be, she would walk towards it, her head held high, and unafraid.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> Hope everyone had/or will have a great holiday no matter what you celebrate. We are back with another great chapter. We introduce a new character this chapter, and I adore him. I hope you do as well. ;)
> 
> love,  
> Kayla

The words reverberated through Oliver’s mind as he studied the small boy in the backseat of his car.  They eyed each other for a long moment through the rearview mirror, William’s eyes fierce and clear and full of wonder and question.

_ Are you my dad? _

Oliver cleared his throat.  “Why do you think that?” he asked, keeping his voice light as he exited the parking lot and headed toward the museum.

William shrugged.  “I don’t know.”

“You must have a reason,” Oliver probed a little further.  Really, he was just stalling. William had asked him not to get mad or tell Samantha.  But how could Oliver possibly keep this from her? They hadn’t discussed how they were going to tell him the truth, but somehow Will had figured it out on his own.

The boy broke their gaze through the rearview mirror and glanced down.  “I heard her on the phone with Grandma the other day,” he said quietly. “She said that she wanted to make sure you had really changed before she told me.”  He sighed. “Plus, she has that check in the kitchen that she looks at sometimes. It says Queen on it. Isn’t your name Oliver Queen?”

Oliver nodded.  “It is, bud.”

“And I don’t know.  It just felt different when you came to our house that day.”  Will swallowed hard.

A lump formed in Oliver’s throat and it took him a moment of working before he could push it down.  He pulled into the parking lot of the museum and parked, turning to face his son. “William, I--”

The boy smiled.  “You are, aren’t you?”

Was this what parenting was?  What  _ fatherhood _ was?  This swell of emotion, the protective instincts on overdrive?  The want- no, need- to make the world a better place for your child?  It went further and deeper and wider than what Oliver could fathom. It filled a place in his heart and in his soul that Oliver hadn’t even realized had been  _ empty  _ until it was full.

And then, all he could do was nod.  Oliver nodded his head, reaching into the back seat to cup the boy’s face in his hands.  “Yes, William,” he said, voice raw and thick with emotion. “I am your dad.”

“I knew it!” Will exclaimed, putting his hands over Oliver’s on his face. 

Oliver laughed, dropping his hands and climbing out of the car.  He had the most overwhelming need to hold Will in his arms. He unbuckled the boy’s seat and Will leapt at him, throwing his small arms around Oliver’s neck and holding him tight.

 “She also told Grandma I have your devilish grin.  What  _ is _ a devilish grin?”

“I’ll tell you when you’re older,” Oliver said, his voice full of mirth.

“Aw man, Mom says that all the time too.  What if I want to know now?” Will pulled back to fully look at Oliver again.

“Your mom is a smart lady,” he answered, standing up and setting Will down on his feet.  The boy took his hand as they made their way to the front entrance of the museum. “If she thinks you should wait to know some things, well it’s probably better that you do.”

“But you just told me that you’re my dad,” Will protested.  “And she thought I should wait to know that.”

“Well, you didn’t leave me much of a choice there, did you?”

The boy considered Oliver’s response for a moment and shook his head.  “I guess not.”

Oliver smiled, because somehow, having only known William for a few short weeks, he could see the man that his son was destined to become.  Maybe not the particulars- Will’s life and choices would shape much of that. But he knew the quickness of Will’s mind, the curiosity and the intelligence, and Oliver could see the world laid open to his son like a blank slate, ready for Will to shape it and make it a better place.

The Starling Metro Museum had an entire wing dedicated to Science and Technology, and Oliver was surprised that this was where they spent the majority of their time.  William loved the hands-on experiments they got to do, but his absolute favorite was the wall of movable pipes that could be set up in endless patterns so that a ball rolled from top to bottom, jumping through openings and falling inches before landing in another tube, all without ever hitting the floor.

Will set it up in new sequences one after another, each one a little more daring than the next.  

Each time, he glanced up at Oliver and said, “Do you think it will make it?”

And each time, Oliver grinned at him and said, “Let’s find out.”

Sometimes it didn’t, overshooting a hole or slipping through a gap between pipes.  But the overwhelming majority of the runs that Will created for the ball, it made it all the way to the end without falling to the floor.

Oliver snapped a few images of Will on his phone.  His son smiling broadly as he worked on an experiment, the profile of his face deep in concentration, the look of elation, fist raised in the air when a big gamble of a six inch jump he’d constructed paid off and the ball made it to the other side.  

Samantha had sent him countless pictures of Will in the last few weeks.  Images of him as a baby, a toddler, school photos and Halloween costumes and vacations.  But these pictures, the ones Oliver took in the moment, were the ones he knew he’d cherish more than the others.  Because those other ones, he was looking in on moments he’d had no part in. But these were his. His moments and his memories with  _ his _ son.

At lunch, while they waited for their burgers and vegetables to arrive, Oliver asked a young mom at a neighboring table if she could take a photo of him and Will.

“Of course,” she said with a warm smile.  She snapped a few. The first one they were both smiling at the camera.  In the second, Oliver had gently poked Will in the ribs and the boy was doubled over in laughter, Oliver smiling brightly as he watched the boy’s reaction.  And the third, Will was giving him bunny ears, and Oliver was doing the same to his son.

“You guys are too cute,” she said, as she handed Oliver his phone back and turned back around to her toddler.

The waitress came a moment later, bringing their food.  She also dropped off a small plate of fries, and gave Will a wink.  He’d asked Oliver about them, and Oliver had held firm, saying vegetables were a must, if they were eating burgers.

“Can I?” Will said, his hand already gripping three fries, with them halfway to his mouth.

Oliver laughed, shaking his head.  “We’ll split them. But you still need to eat all your broccoli.”

“Okay!” Will said brightly, biting into the handful of fries.

Oliver portioned out the fries, and glanced around the restaurant.  Big Belly Burger had long been a secret place that Oliver had gone with his mother.  When he was about Will’s age, she’d brought him after baseball practice for a milkshake.  In high school, Moira had brought him on Saturday mornings when he was hung over from a party the night before, disappointment mixed with wistfulness on her features.  She’d wanted him to stay little, he imagined. Or maybe, she’d just wanted him to be better. Oliver wondered if the two of them could find a way to get back to the relationship they’d had once.  When she’d bought him milkshakes even when it might spoil his dinner, just because.

“Are you going to tell my mom?” Will said, pulling Oliver from his thoughts.

“About what, buddy?”

“About you being my dad.”

“I think she already knows that I’m your dad,” Oliver said playfully.

Will rolled his eyes.  “You know what I mean. That I know.”

“Oh that,” Oliver said, feigning ignorance.  He considered the question for a moment. “What do you think?  Should we tell her that you know?”

“Nope,” Will said with all the finality and emphasis that the seven year old could muster.

Oliver’s brow knit together in a furrow.  “Why not?”

“What if it makes her sad that she didn’t get to tell me herself?” The boy frowned.

“Buddy, we don’t always get to make those choices.  Sometimes we have to do hard things, even if they might make other people sad.”

“Why?”

“Because the alternative is to lie, and even if it hurts, telling the truth is always better than lying.”

Will took a bite of his burger, his mind clearly working through the gears of what Oliver had just said.  “Yeah, my mom always says that lying is bad too,” he said finally.

Oliver swallowed hard, thinking about Thea and all of the lies she’d been told over the years.  All of the truths she had to find a way to accept, now that they were coming to light. About how she was sitting in Felicity’s apartment with Akio, a boy who was another secret, another lie that Oliver had told about his past.  He’d barely given it a second thought when he’d asked her to come over and stay with Akio. But Thea would surely have questions. Ones that only he could answer by being completely honest with his sister about the five years he was gone.

_ Yeah, my mom always says that lying is bad too _ .

Oh, to be seven years old again.  To have the easy black and white decisions that were either ‘lie’ or ‘truth’.  But the reality was that secrets were layered shades of grey, and the more they were peeled back to reveal what was underneath, the more convoluted things became.

“Do you think that means we should tell her?” Oliver asked, snapping thoughts shut and turning his attention back to the little boy that he had so much lost time to make up for.

“Tell me what?” Samantha’s voice asked cheerily, as she sat down across from them at the table.

“Mom!” Will said brightly.  He jumped out of his seat and ran to give her a hug.

She scooped him up in her arms, settling him onto her lap.

“Hey Sam.”

“Oliver,” she said with a smile.

“How was the interview?”

She shrugged.  “They said they’d give me a call next week to let me know.  But that the panel found me engaging, fresh and well spoken.  And that definitely gives me some hope.”

“I had no doubts.”

“Now,” Samantha said, glancing back down at her son on her lap.  “What was it you were going to tell me?” She took a french fry from Oliver’s plate and popped it into her mouth.

“Will kind of--” Oliver started.

“I know he’s my dad,” the boy blurted.

Shock registered on Samantha’s face first, before she was able to compose herself.  Her eyes moved between the boy and Oliver, who was holding up his hands in defense.

“He asked, point blank.”

“And you always say that lying is bad,” Will interjected.

A huff left her lips that was part surprise, part amusement.  She kissed Will’s forehead. “You are too smart for your own good,” she said, and then looked to Oliver again.  “Not exactly how I envisioned it but…”

“But sometimes kids take matters into their own hands?” He finished.

“I heard you on the phone with Grandma,” Will explained.  “Plus, he just… fits.”

Samantha furrowed her brow and Oliver too, was a little concerned.  He knew that sometimes kids had expectations of parents getting back together, of making their family ‘whole’ by moving back in.  But his and Samantha’s stories had diverged more than seven years ago. And just because they shared a son, didn’t mean that the two of them were any more right together now than they were then.  

“Where does he fit, Bug?” Samantha asked, stroking the boy’s hair.

It took Will a moment to answer.  He studied Oliver hard for several long seconds before he moved or spoke.

“Here,” he said, pressing his small, little hand, to his small, little heart.

\---

“You know I’m proud of you,” Tommy said as he walked Felicity up the steps of her apartment. “Facing that place today. Took guts.”

“Shut up.”

“I’m serious Felicity,” he smiled as he nudged her shoulder. “You’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever known.”

She rolled her eyes, but he could see the pride nestled behind her eyes. “Must be that bullet I took years ago, maybe it left iron in my blood.”

“Hate to break your poetic soul, but bullets aren’t made of iron.”

“Rats,” she snapped her fingers but the grin stayed on her face. “I should go relieve Thea and Roy from ‘teenager’ duty.”

“Have Ollie talk to her for me will you?” he sighed, thinking back to his talk with Thea that morning. “She’s still out of the loop on so many things, important things. And maybe it would hurt to hear about him being a heartbeat away from coming home two years earlier. But she deserves to know. Or at least to know why we’re so okay with harboring a fifteen year old kid.”

“I think he might have already if it hadn’t been for me.”

Tommy shook his head. “Don’t blame yourself. You went through hell. You’re allowed to heal, no matter how that healing looks to others.”

Then, his phone began to ring. He would have ignored it but Felicity gave him the nod to answer.  He saw Laurel’s name and smiled as he put the phone to his ear.

“Hey,” she said, and he could already hear the excitement in her voice, which intrigued him. “I know you’re with Felicity, but any chance you’re wrapping up soon?”

“I’m just dropping her off right now,” he looked at Felicity and mouthed ‘it’s Laurel.’. 

“Hi Laurel,” she replied loudly towards his phone.

“Give her a hug from me,” his girlfriend replied. “But if you have time, could you meet me on Arlington? I have something I want to show you.”

“Yeah, I can be there in like ten minutes,” he said, checking his watch. “Wait you didn’t find a place already did you?”

“Yeah, no, but I think this is a great idea. Potentially. I’ll see you soon,” she said then added. “Love you bye.”

He laughed as he pocketed his phone. “I have been summoned. Though I’m not sure what for.”

“Well go find out,” Felicity teased with a smile. “And call me later. Unless it results in the two of you naked.”

“Haha,” he pulled her in for a quick hug. “That’s from Laurel. If you need me just call. I can be back here just as fast.”

“I’ll be fine, thank you.”

He squinted at her, but smirked. “Classic Tommy/Felicity movie night tonight?”

“Oooh, could make it a double date?”

“See I don’t think Laurel and Ollie will want to come together but sure.”

She shoved him a little but it was good to see her smile so wide. “Goodbye Merlyn.”

“Bye Smoak.”

Tommy drove through the streets of Starling City, but as he reached Arlington Street, he noticed the crowds gathered around. Some kind of event was in full swing, and he had to wonder just what Laurel had called him to see.

He parked in the first free spot he could find and listened as families were pulled by young children in every direction. It was almost like joyful chaos, nothing to worry about but it piqued his curiosity even further. 

“There you are,” Laurel bounded over to him, kissing his cheek as she did. “Did you have a good breakfast with Thea?”

“I did. It’s good to start those reconnections,” he said as she laced their fingers together. “Mind telling me what we’re doing here?”

“I will I just,” her phone beeped and she groaned. “Right after I put out this work fire. Give me two minutes.”

He nodded and watched her move off to answer her phone. He moved to pull his own out just to pass the time or check in with Ollie. But before he could a man passed him and knocked into his shoulder. 

“My apologies,” he said turning to face Tommy.

There was something in the man’s smile that sent Tommy’s senses on alert. “It’s okay. No harm no foul.”

“I feel like I’ve seen your face before,” he said as Tommy picked up on the heavy Australian accent. “I’m usually rather adept at remembering things. But I can’t place it.”

“Tommy Merlyn,” Tommy held out his hand for the man to shake. 

“Merlyn,” as the realization dawned on his face. “I believe we have a mutual acquaintance.” 

“We do?”

“Sebastian Blood,” the man supplied. “At least he likes to make it seem like he knows a lot about you. I’m working on his campaign.”

“Never had the pleasure of meeting him actually,” Tommy pulled himself back a step. He didn’t know this man. Any anyone who would associate with Blood, considering the smear campaign he’d been running, wasn’t someone he wanted to know. “Hoping to keep it that way.”

“Well I--”

“Sorry about that,” Laurel said as she returned to his side. “We’re dealing with this case that’s being transferred from Bludhaven, and their local DA is an asshat. Hi?”

“Laurel Lance.”

The way he said it made Tommy freeze. Like he’d been waiting to say it for a long time. And it took a lot of energy for Tommy to push down every ARGUS agent instinct in him to take the man out right then and there.

“Do I know you?” she asked raising a brow. She looked about ready to grab the taser he knew Quentin insisted she keep in her purse.

“He works with Alderman Blood,” Tommy supplied giving him a once over. Tailored suit, it meant he cared about how people perceived him. A black eyepatch, that on anyone else might look out of place, but on him it seemed right. He forced a smile on his face as he spoke next.  “But I didn’t catch your name?”

“And sadly we don’t have time to waste,” Laurel cut in, taking him by the arm. “We’re gonna be late. So have a nice day.”

She pulled him off down the sidewalk, but Tommy couldn’t shake the feeling the man watched them as they moved..

“That was weird right?” he asked, as he glanced back once. But the man had vanished somewhere in the crowd. “I’m not being paranoid?”

“It was kinda weird,” she said and sighed. “But I expected that once you came back, Sebastian might want to run with it for another campaign boost. Prodigal son returns. Is he gonna help or harm the Glades further? Stuff like that. Maybe his cronies are out gather intel on you.”

“Fantastic,” he snarked, but relaxed as Laurel’s arms wrapped around his shoulders. “I knew what coming home would mean. I’m not gonna run from it.”

“I know,” she whispered, giving him a quick kiss. “Just letting you know I’m not running either.”

“Well that is good to hear,” he moved to bump their noses together. “You gonna tell me why we're here?”

“For a government agent, you are very unobservant.”

He laughed, but took in their surroundings. Families everywhere, booths setup, workers in vests, and most importantly cages that lined the edge of shop windows with dogs and cats of various sizes and breeds.

He shook his head and smiled at her. “Laurel, what’s going on?” 

“Hear me out,” she took hold of his hand and they continued down the row of pets. “I came to blow off some steam from work, pet some puppies, feed my soul. I did not come here looking for a pet.”

“But?”

“However,” she corrected as she stopped. “I thought I should bring you here as well.”

“Laurel we can’t…”

But the words faltered as his eyes locked with the puppy they had stopped in front of. His sweet face perked up when he saw the two of them, and his tail began to wag. He pawed at the lock, and Tommy couldn’t help but watch as he worked the thing so much it finally unlatched. The dog looked triumphant as he pushed the door open and moved around Laurel’s legs. 

“The shelter worker said he doesn’t always do that,” she defended as she leaned over to pick the little guy up. “Just when he really likes a human.”

He couldn’t be any older than seven or eight months. And Tommy could think of a million reasons why he should make her put him down, and back in his cage. But instead he leaned closer. The little guy took it as an invitation and jumped from Laurel’s arms into his, licking at his face. 

“Oh my, okay,” he laughed and the dog yipped happily. 

“I knew you two would hit it off,” she said with a bright smile on her face. “He’s a border collie/australian shepard mix, he’s completely house trained, and they said his name was Zippo. But we can totally change that.”

“Laurel.”

“Tell me you don’t want this dog,” she scratched at the puppy’s head, positioning him so Tommy had to stare directly into his eyes. “You can’t can you?”

“Of course I want him, but,” the puppy scurried up his chest, then settled right on his shoulder. “We can’t just take a dog out of a cage and leave.”

“Laurel,” someone greeted as they walked over. She wore a vest and had a clipboard in her hand. “You’re back so soon. You must be Tommy the boyfriend? I’m Brooke.”

“Nice to meet you Brooke,” Tommy stuck his hand out to greet the woman, then turned back to Laurel. “How long did you say you were here?”

“Long enough to fall in love,” Laurel replied.

He shook his head. But honestly he didn’t think he could put the dog back. Not with how sweet and comfortable he already felt in his arms. The little guy fit somewhere that Tommy hadn’t even known needed a piece.

“So,” he relented as he faced Brooke again. “If we wanted to go about adopting this little guy, how would we do that?”

Brooke handed her clipboard to Laurel. “You two just need to fill out these forms, and then the rest of our volunteer staff will help you get set up with everything you’ll need to take this little guy home.”

He sighed. He knew full well that Laurel had every intention of leaving with this dog the whole time. That’s probably why his paperwork was mostly ready to go. But when the puppy moved to look at him, Tommy couldn’t blame her. He was quite possibly the cutest thing Tommy had ever seen in his life.

“Guess you’re coming home with us,” he whispered to the dog as Laurel signed her part of stuff. “She’s usually not this impulsive, so you must be pretty special huh?”

He barked, and bumped his nose into Tommy’s cheek, licking him again. 

“You’re gonna have to stop that lock picking trick though.”

He made no sound, and Tommy was pretty sure he had just adopted the dog most equipped with both his and Laurel’s personalities combined. They were in for quite a ride then.

\---

Coming home with a box of her things in her hand made Felicity feel like every fired employee on any sitcom or movie in the history of forever.  So she avoided it for a while. And even though Tommy had dropped her off at home and walked her to the door of her apartment building, she didn’t go in right away.

Instead, she made her way down to the coffee shop on the corner and people-watched as she sipped her java, letting her thoughts roam free.  It was the first time in a long time that Felicity actually felt free, not burdened down by guilt over the Markov device, or worry over when Tommy would come home.  Now, her thoughts felt a little like white noise- just background sounds as she watched people go by.  

It was a while later before she made her way back home, her box of stuff from her desk at Helix perched in her hands. Coming home might have felt like a depressing ending, but having three teenagers giggling in her living room as she opened the door made it slightly less horrible.

“Hey!” Thea called, standing from the couch and coming over to her.  “How was---” she broke off, seeing the box. “Oh no. They fired you?!  How could they possibly--”

Felicity shook her head.  “They didn’t,” she said with a small laugh.  “I quit. I just realized that it wasn’t the place for me.  I want to do good in this world, and hactivism, although has its merits, and will always be in my roots, it’s not what I’m destined for.”

She dropped the box onto the counter with a thud and Thea pulled her into a hug.

“Well I’m here for you, no matter what,” Thea grinned.  “And if you need some work, I’m sure Roy would be happy to show you how to mix some drinks.  Put on one of your cute black dresses and put you behind the bar, you’d have tips flying at you.”

“Not really the career move I’m looking for,” Felicity answered with a wrinkled nose.  “But thank you for the offer.”

“Any time,” Thea answered, bumping her hip into Felicity’s playfully before moving back toward the couch.  “I just heard from Ollie. He’s on his way back. Should be here any minute.”

Felicity meandered into the kitchen, considered pouring herself a glass of wine, and then frowned thinking about the living room full of teenagers.  She settled on an opened pint of Ben and Jerry’s she had tucked into the back of the freezer, and grabbed a spoon before making her way toward the living room.

“Did you all have fun?” she asked, settling herself cross-legged into one of the arm chairs.

Akio nodded.  “Thea told me all about Oliver when he was a kid,” the boy grinned.  “It explains a lot. Not all, but a lot.”

“By all, he means the shooting people with a bow and arrows,” Roy added.

Felicity’s eyes ticked to Thea’s boyfriend, trying to gauge his reaction as he spoke.  He was pretty unreadable, but there was still something there, like a mix of horror and amazement.  Felicity couldn’t say she blamed him, knowing his girlfriend’s older brother was the Starling vigilante certainly would put a strain on any relationship Roy tried to forge with him.

“I think that was more out of necessity than interest,” Felicity said, before taking a bite of her Chubby Hubby.  “But I also think Oliver wouldn't appreciate you all dissecting his motives and/or psyche.”

“But when you think about it in terms of the Brat--” Akio started, and then cut himself off just as the front door opened and the man in question stepped inside.

Eyes that had been furrowed and focused on Akio suddenly shifted toward the door.  Oliver frowned and looked between the four of them.

“Why do I get the distinct impression I just walked in on a conversation about me?”

“What’s the Brat?” Thea asked, directing her question to anyone and everyone.  “And while we’re explaining things, mind telling me exactly who Akio is and what he’s doing here?”

A flood of panic hit Felicity as her eyes darted from Akio to Oliver.  She’d assumed Oliver had told his sister  _ something _ about Akio.  And was even more surprised that Akio hadn’t spilled all the beans himself.

“He came to help us track down Felicity,” Oliver said, closing the door.  “And my day was fine, thanks for asking. Finally told my kid that I’m his father, so that was fun.”

“You did?” Felicity asked.

And the same time Akio exclaimed, “You have a kid?!”

Thea stood and crossed her arms, looking ready for a fight.  “Looks like you’ve got some explaining to do all the way around, bro.”

Oliver’s eyes fell closed, and Felicity wished she could take some of this away from him.  She wished she’d been honest with Thea from the beginning. About Oliver being alive, about meeting him in Russia.  How would she handle finding out that Felicity and Tommy had known all along that her brother wasn’t dead?

The buzzer on the front door went off and Felicity moved to the door, deftly slipping passed Oliver, who hadn’t moved.

“Hello?” she asked.

“Felicity Smoak?” A voice said, and it was heavily accented.

“Tatsu?” Felicity answered, buzzing the door unlocked to let her up.

Oliver cleared his throat.  “Let’s talk in the bedroom, Thea.  Give Akio some time to catch up with his mom.”

Thea nodded and Roy stood, moving with her toward the bedroom, leaving Oliver trailing them.

Akio stood too, moving to the door to wait with Felicity for his mother.  “You guys didn’t tell her anything?” he whispered once he was at her side.  “I’ve been dodging questions for five hours. Finally I just started showing them how I hack into things.”

Felicity closed her eyes and shook her head.  “Oliver didn’t want anyone to know, when Tommy and I first came back.  He wasn’t sure if or when he was ever coming home. And while he was gone, it was easy to go on like Russia never happened.  It didn’t get really complicated until we had to re-meet for the first time at a dinner at his mom’s house. While I was with my boyfriend at the time.”

The boy smirked.  “This story has more twists than a Russian soap opera,” he said.  “Then what happened?”

A knock sounded on the door, saving Felicity from having to reply.  She glanced at him briefly as if to ask ‘you ready for this?’ and then opened the door.

Tatsu was indeed on the other side, her hair pristine, her face a completely passive mask.

“Mom,” Akio said, his voice quiet.

But she didn’t look at him.  Not right away. Instead, she directed her attention to Felicity.  “I am glad to see that you are alright,” she said, as Felicity let her inside.

“Thank you,” she smiled.  “Thanks in no small part to your son.  Akio did so much to help find me. And I know--”

“Miss Smoak,” Tatsu said, her voice quiet but firm.  “I know what you are trying to do for Akio, and I can appreciate your thoughtfulness in protecting him.  Akio will certainly answer for his actions. But we will not discuss that here or now.”

“We won’t?” Akio asked, eyes looking hopeful.

“We will not.”  She took another step forward, and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him tightly to herself.

Felicity could see tears gleaming in Tatsu’s eyes, but neither of the women called attention to it.

“Thank you for allowing him to stay in your home,” Tatsu said, her voice thick with emotion.

“Of course. And I should thank you for your part in getting Tommy healed and getting them back home so quickly.  I don’t know what would have happened if they’d been any later.”

“Appreciation and good deeds all around,” Akio said, holding onto his youthful optimism.  “Maybe we could just skip the--”

“Not here, Akio.”

He frowned.  “Is this the teenage equivalent of ‘wait until your father gets home’?”

“Perhaps.”

Felicity cleared her throat.  “Akio has been crashing on the couch.  I think I’ve got an air mattress around here somewhere that we can set up for you.”

“No need,” Tatsu said firmly.  “Thank you for the offer. But we are booked on a flight back in three hours.”

“Oh,” Felicity said with a smile.  “Quick trip.” Her phone buzzed in her pocket and Felicity pulled it out.  A text from Tommy saying that Laurel got called back to the office and wouldn’t be making it to their movie night.  She glanced at the door to the bedroom; she hadn’t even had a chance to ask Oliver yet, but something told her that he might be a while talking to Thea.

She sent Tommy a text back, saying she was heading over soon, and that she’d be solo as well.  Even if Oliver was done talking to Thea, she knew he’d want to see Akio and Tatsu off at the airport.

“I try to avoid any place where Amanda Waller has her headquarters,” Tatsu said back, her tone turning icy.

“Fair enough.”  Felicity swallowed hard.  “Do you need me to take care of any video surveillance or paper trails?  I’d be happy to,” she said, hooking a thumb over her shoulder. “Been doing it for Oliver for years.”

Tatsu gestured toward her son.  “Akio has already set something up for our family.  ARGUS will not be bothering us. I just prefer to not be within several hundred miles of the director.”

Felicity nodded.  “Understood. She freaks me out too.  I mean, I’m sure it’s different since she… well, since she did what she did to your family.  But I mean I know how ‘grr’ she can be.” She paused and made a face. “Listen, I’m so sorry to do this, but I’m heading out to see Tommy.  Would you mind terribly if I said goodbye to you both now and left you to wait for Oliver? I know it makes me a horrible host. I’d be happy to get you a drink or something first.”

Akio laughed.  “Felicity, you worry too much.  You and Oliver told me to make myself at home.  Don’t start freaking out that I can’t find the fridge now.”

She smiled.  Akio, had in fact, made himself at home.  And the similarities to the small apartment they’d all shared in Russia were not lost on her the last couple of days.  Although there was far more take-out, since Akio was now apparently eating enough food for five grown men. And was that common among all teenage boys?  She couldn’t be sure.

“Right, okay.”  Felicity grabbed him and pulled him into a hug.  “Thank you again. So much, for helping find me. It was so good to see you.”  She released him and they locked eyes. “Even if it was very wrong for you to fly halfway around the world without talking to your parents first.”  She gave him a wink before turning to Tatsu. “Your son is a treasure,” she said warmly. “And there’s no one else I’d want on my computer system and in my corner in a time of need.”

“Thanks for letting me stay here,” Akio said.  “And we should keep in touch?”

Felicity grinned.  “I’ll see ya on the darkweb.”  She grabbed her keys and purse and headed for the door.  She waited until she was in her car before typing a quick text to Oliver.

_ Headed to Tommy’s for movie night.  Come by after. I want to hear all about your day with William.  XO _

Tommy’s apartment wasn’t far from hers, and most of the drive was a blur.  Felicity found that happened sometimes now. She’d lose minutes, or hours of things happening, just because she wasn’t paying attention.  She wondered if it was due to the trauma of what had happened with Cooper. She wasn’t reliving it, but she knew that seeing him, being held captive by him, had changed her.  She wasn’t naive enough to think that it wouldn’t have an affect on her, she just hoped it wouldn’t be like this forever.

And then she was there, at his front door, listening to some sort of commotion on the other side.  Terror seized her a brief moment.

“Tommy?” she called, knocking loudly.  Something inside clattered to the floor.  She had her phone in one hand, already ready to call Oliver, when the door swung open.

“Hey,” he said with a smile, looking frazzled and breathless.

“What’s going on in there?” Felicity asked, peering around him.

Tommy just grinned, and pulled her into the apartment.  “I have someone I want you to meet,” he said, closing the door and rushing toward the kitchen.  A baby gate closed the kitchen off from the rest of the house, and Tommy leaned over, picking something up and turning around.

In his hands was the most wiggly, cutest puppy Felicity had ever seen.  Tommy wrestled the pup for a few seconds before giving up and putting it on the ground.  It lunged at Felicity, jumping up to stand on its back legs and pawed at hers.

“You got a puppy?!” she asked, leaning down and picking the dog up.  It wriggled around in her arms, licking her face.

Tommy huffed a laugh.  “Yeah, well Laurel kind of fell in love with him at this adoption day downtown and we couldn’t let him go back to a shelter, even overnight.”

“Do you know what to do with a puppy?” Felicity laughed, stroking the dog’s ears and head until it calmed some.

“Laurel and I got as far as dog food, collar and baby gate before she had to run back to the office.  He seems to be adjusting so far, although he’s tried to eat everything that isn’t nailed down.” Tommy grabbed one of Laurel’s files off the counter.  It had a large chunk out of it. “I swear he’s either half starved or--”

“Or he’s just a puppy,” Felicity said with a smile.  She didn’t have a  _ lot _ of experience with dogs.  But one of her friends in middle school had gotten a puppy for Christmas one year, and Felicity had been over a lot to see it.  So she wasn’t completely clueless. She set the dog back down on the floor, scratching behind his ears until he settled. “What’s his name?”

“Zippo,” Tommy said, rolling his eyes.  “Or at least it was.”

Felicity laughed.  “Okay, so what are you renaming him?”

Tommy grinned.  “Bone,” he said, using his best British accent.  “James Bone.”

“You’re kidding,” she deadpanned.

“Kind of,” Tommy shrugged.  “It’s Double O Seven, but we’re calling him Dub for short.”

Felicity leaned back down over the dog and took his head in both her hands.  “Oh Dub,” she said. “I don’t know how to tell you this. But your new daddy is kind of a James Bond nerd.”

“Laurel suggested it.”

“She did not.”

Tommy huffed.  “Fine, she didn’t.  But she agreed to it.”

Felicity laughed, enjoying the feeling of it.  “Well, then in honor of the newest member of your family, I guess for tonight’s movie night, we’ve gotta watch this little guy’s namesake.”

Tommy reached for the remote and clicked on the television, where Casino Royale was already cued up and ready to go.

\---

He didn’t know where to begin. Thea watched him as she took a seat on the bed, watched and waited for him to say something. But how do you tell your baby sister you could have come home a million times over, and you chose not to? How do look someone you love in the eye and tell them you felt too broken and dangerous to ever come home?

Instead he looked at Roy. For what it was worth, the kid didn’t look to intimidated as he stared him down, but he still shifted as he leaned in to kiss Thea’s forehead. 

“Maybe I should let you two talk,” he suggested.

Oliver nodded, then cleared his throat. “We’ll talk soon. About you breaking into the Foundry.”

“In my defense the door was unlocked.”

“Somehow I doubt that,” Oliver muttered then motioned to the window. “You can leave this way.”

Thea didn’t stop him, just smiled and waved as he climbed out the window. The same window Oliver had climbed out of nearly a week ago when Donna was in town. Had it really been only a week?

The silence stretched between them, and Oliver honestly didn’t know how he’d even begin. Then by some miracle she spoke first. “You don’t want to tell me any of this do you?”

The way she said it mixed with the look in her eye was almost enough to break him. 

“Speedy,” he took the stool from the corner and pulled it next to the bed. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you these things. It’s just com--”

“Please don’t start this conversation with the word complicated.”

“Fair enough,” he took a deep breath, noticing how his nerves pulled his fingers together. “I know I’ve lied to you since I’ve been back. I’ve kept secrets, some were mine to keep, others you deserved to know the second I found out. And I’m sorry for all of that, Speedy I am. It’s just, those five years were…”

She reached over to his hand, stilling the tick as she did. “I get you felt you had to protect me from things. I understand, I really do. But you have to understand, that keeping these secrets, they make me feel like there’s a divide between us. Like I’ll never really know what happened to you when you were,” she swallowed hard, then met his eyes.  “When you were gone.”

“The truth, Thea, is that I’m afraid,” he watched as she watched him. “I’m afraid that if I tell you all the things you don’t know about me that I might lose you forever.”

“Ollie, that’ll never happen.”

“You say that now. But there are things that happened, things that I did, that if you knew,” he paused as the memories of the island and ARGUS and the Bratva came flooding back to him. “If you knew you might see me differently.”

“No, I’ll always see you as my big brother,” she held onto him tighter. “Nothing you say could ever change that.”

“Speedy look--”

“Listen to me,” she said and her smile stretched across her face. “You realize I spent the entire day with some kid who idolizes you? All he would say is how much he wanted to do good things in the world  _ because _ of you. I just… all I want to know is how? How does this kid know you so well? How did you meet him? Did you know them before the island or…”

He knew there wouldn’t be a better opening than that, so he steadied his breathing and said. “I met them in Hong Kong, two years after the Gambit went down.”

He told her everything. He told her about washing up on Lian Yu, about Slade and Shado, and learning to use a bow. He told her about Waller and meeting Maseo, Tatsu, and Akio. About having to flee to Russia. 

There were still things he left out, things he didn’t feel like his sister needed to know. Things like their father killing a man before he shot himself, or about all the blood that soaked his skin. He also weaved around Tommy and Felicity’s involvement in Russia. He didn’t want Thea to be angry with them. He didn’t want her to lose any trust in two people who loved her so much. So he left it out as best he could.

When he finished his story he couldn’t look at her. He kept his eyes averted, as he cleared his throat. “That’s why I came back. Because Dad wanted me to right his wrongs, and this is the way I chose to do it.”

He heard her shift as she stood, but he hadn’t expected her arms to wrap around his neck and pull him towards her. He hugged her back and felt the weight of his secrets lift away. 

“Thank you,” she whispered as she pulled away. “I know that wasn’t easy for you.”

“I’m glad I told you, Speedy,” he took a deep breath and felt the rush of anxiety leave him. He had to stop thinking people would leave once things got bad. “I never want you to feel like you’re not important enough to be included.”

“I appreciate that.”

Someone knocked on the bedroom door, and Oliver was reminded the apartment wasn’t empty.

He wiped at his eyes before he pulled the door open, Tatsu standing on the other side.

“Sorry,” he said with a shaky smile. “I didn’t mean to keep you waiting, I just…”

“Family is important Oliver, we both know this,” she nodded. “Felicity had to leave.”

He thought he had heard his phone buzz while talking to Thea, but he didn’t want to check it then. Now he pulled it out, reading the text.  _ Good.  _ He knew Tommy and Felicity needed some time where they could return to their own version of normal. They all did.

He smiled at her as they all moved back to the living room. “Give me a second, I’ll take you guys to the airport.”

“That won’t be necessary,” she replied as she grabbed for a bag. “I feel like Akio and I must have a long talk, and I’d like to start it as soon as possible.”

He couldn’t argue with the boy’s mother. No matter how much Akio helped them to find Felicity, he knew what kind of worry that had put on Maseo and Tatsu.

“Okay,” he smiled then turned to Akio. “Come here, kid.”

Akio let Oliver pull him in for a hug, the smiles growing on both of their faces. “Thank you so much for what you did.”

“We’re even now,” Akio shrugged.

“No where close. I feel like I owe you so much.”

He grabbed his bag and then moved back towards his mother. “Isn’t it just what heroes do? What you do?”

“I don’t think I’d call myself a hero, Akio.”

“You were mine,” he replied, then cleared his throat. “This isn’t goodbye, is it?”

“Never. You can come back any time,” then off the look Tatsu gave him he added. “Provided your mother and father both agree.”

“I have something for you and your friends,” Tatsu said as she approached him. “A gift from the Order.”

She pulled three wooden figures from her bag and placed them in his hands. “They do not offer their protection lightly. But the three of you must have shown Anadi something special. Tommy especially.”

His hands ran over the Lotus sculptures, feeling the textured surface below his fingers. “Why? I thought they wanted rid of us? Nyssa most of all?”

“I cannot begin to decipher his meaning in these,” she said with a shrug. “Just that he said a great force might come to you and it’s best to prepare for that.”

“Okay,” he set the figures down, not sure how he’d get Nyssa hers if she was always back with the League. But also maybe not accepting them would offend the Crescent Order? And he really didn’t need them misting their way into his small apartment. Because that was something he still couldn’t wrap his head around.

“We should be going,” Tatsu said, as she gave his arm a light squeeze. “Stay safe, old friend.”

“You too,” he said, then winked at Akio as the pair of them left. 

He waited a beat before he turned back to Thea and smiled. “So Felicity and Tommy are having a movie night. We could join them if you want.”

“Eh, I mean Tommy’s probably talked her into one of the Bond movies,” she rolled her eyes. “Not exactly my cup of tea.”

“Okay,” he nodded, then as the idea sparked he looked at her. “Hey I think maybe you shouldn’t train with Sara so much anymore.”

“Really, Ollie? After all that, you just want to go ten steps back. I mean come on I--”

“Because I want you to train with me,” he said cutting her off. He waited as his words caught up to her and a smile broke out of her face.

“For real?”

“I can’t stop you from wanting to help. I get that. But if you’re going to do this, I want to make sure you’re safe, and that you know all the ways to protect yourself.”

The idea of training Thea terrified him. But not as much as the idea of letting her out there without someone to watch her back. 

“Will you tell me more about your time away?” Apparently she had seen right through him trying to leave out details.

He hesitated then said. “I’ll make you a deal. For every hit you land, you can ask me one question that I have to answer.”

“I like this already.”

“Don’t get too excited, Speedy,” he said as he nudged her shoulder. “I said you had to land the hit first.”

She laughed and tugged on his arm, pulling him towards the door. It would be an interesting evening for sure. And he couldn’t help but feel a surge of happiness at that.

He pulled out his phone and texted Felicity back real quick.

_ Gonna train with Speedy. But you two have fun. I’ll tell you all about William when I get home. Love you. _

Then he let Thea lead him towards his car. 

\---


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! And happy new year! Hopefully 2020 started off right for ya, and you're ready for some more 'Wake Verse' action, because we've got plenty of it coming your way. Apparently a few people have binged our verse these last few weeks, so to all the new readers, welcome to your regularly scheduled weekly update. We hope you continue to enjoy.
> 
> xoxo,  
> Cassie

“With a mere thirty percent of ownership, I’m afraid you’re not in any position to make decisions on the fate of the company, Mr. Merlyn.”

Tommy glared at the lawyer, who was sitting with several other lawyers and members of the Merlyn Global board of directors across the table from him.  He hadn’t wanted the shares his father had left him. In fact, for two whole months, Tommy thought about just selling them, or abandoning them. But hearing what Sebastian Blood was literally running his campaign platform on, and knowing the views of the people of Starling on him, his father and his family name, Tommy couldn’t help but want to do something about it.

He wasn’t sure what.  Or at least, he hadn’t been when he’d gone into the meeting more than an hour ago.  But it was becoming more clear with every passing moment. The veiled anger in these men’s faces.  The ire with which they regarded him, simply because of who his father was. It should make him want to leave the company behind even more.  But it was having the opposite effect.

“Maybe not,” Tommy said, sitting a little straighter in his chair.  “But in conjunction with my sister, Thea’s thirty percent, we control more than half of this company.  And--”

The lawyer smirked.  “I have it on good authority that the young Miss Queen will be relinquishing her shares to Queen Consolidated.”

Tommy narrowed his eyes.  “Well, until you have a signed contract from her stating that, I believe all options should be considered.”  He paused, taking a breath before diving back into what he was trying to convey to these men. “All I’m asking is for a chance to address the board.  I know what my father did to this company. To the building and the employees who were still inside.” He sighed, his eyes closing as images of that day flooded his mind.  “But I am not my father.”

“And you are no businessman,” one of the other lawyers said.

“You’re right,” Tommy said with conviction, startling all of the men across from him.  “I’m not. But what I do have is a heart for this city. And I, for one, think this company could do with a little more compassion and a little less ruthless tycoon.”

Jim Lariby, the lawyer who had first contacted Tommy about coming in for a meeting with the board (and the only friendly face in the room), gave him a nod.  “We will take this to the rest of the board of directors,” he said quietly, but firmly. “Thank you for coming in, Mr. Merlyn.”

Tommy nodded back, and that seemed to signify the end of the meeting.  All of the men on the other side of the table dissolved into conversations among themselves.  He wasn’t sure if that meant he was free to leave, or if he was being ousted completely, or if they wanted him to stick around for another verbal lashing.  But he stood, buttoned his suit jacket and walked out of the conference room.

He noticed for the first time in that meeting, just how much he hated being called Mr. Merlyn.  It might sound cliche, but Mr. Merlyn had always been his father- the enigmatic Malcolm Merlyn, the man seated on the throne of the Merlyn Global empire.  But after what the man had done two months ago in Starling City, the empire was crumbling, and Tommy was the only Mr. Merlyn left to try and repair the damage done.

“Tommy!” A voice called after him, and he turned to find Lariby jogging to catch up to him at the elevator bank.

“Was that as much of a slaughter as it felt like?” Tommy asked, wincing.

“It wasn’t...good,” the lawyer confirmed.  They stepped into the elevator together and Tommy pressed the button for the parking garage.  “But some of the board members think you may have sway with Thea, and so they’ve agreed to hear you out at a formal meeting of the Board of Directors next week.”

Tommy blew out a long breath, rubbing his brow.  Between ARGUS, Laurel, the new puppy and getting his life back on track, Tommy’s plate was already pretty full.  And he’d never actually wanted to take on responsibility at MG. So why did the thought of sitting down with the board give him such a thrill of excitement?  And why did he suddenly feel like he had to pull this off to prove to the world, once and for all, that he wasn’t his father?

“I’ll be there,” he confirmed.  Even if he wasn’t sure how, or what he’d say, or even, really, why he was doing it at all.  Except for that feeling, that one that kept creeping up every time he thought about dumping his shares.  The feeling that told him if he did, he’d regret it. And not because of any sentimentality he had for his father.  But because he knew the kind of good he could do with a platform like Merlyn Global. And Tommy couldn’t pass that up.

The elevator deposited them into the parking garage and after they said their goodbyes, Tommy made his way to his car.  He slowed several paces into the garage, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. He was being watched.

Tommy paused, pulling out his phone, making himself look like he was mindlessly engrossed in the device.  Behind him, footsteps echoed and then faltered. Tommy strained his ears as he began walking again, making sure to not make a sound himself as he went.  The steps behind him were clipped, a woman’s heels, with a gait that he knew almost as well as his own.

He smirked.  “I wouldn’t think the acting director of ARGUS would be relegated to recon of a field agent,” he called.

“Just making sure you haven’t gotten rusty,” Lyla called back.  She appeared at his side a moment later.

“How long before I noticed?”

“Twenty three seconds,” she answered.  “I’d say your head is back in the game fairly well.  Although if I’d been someone who wanted you dead, you probably would have been within that time frame.”

“No love for the ex-partner, I see,” Tommy laughed.  He hit the key fob to unlock his car. “Need a lift back to the office?”

“We’re still partners,” Lyla said, rolling her eyes.  “And I’ll actually take the ride, thanks. Was just getting lunch with John, so my car is still there.  Although I fully expected to have to drag you back to headquarters.”

Tommy shook his head, opening his car door and ducking into the car.  Lyla dropped into the passenger seat beside him. “We have an appointment,” he said.  “Why would you have to drag me?”

Lyla laughed.  “We’ve had a standing appointment every day for the last week since you’ve been back, Tommy.”

He shrugged.  “But with such personal service, how could I refuse?”  He shot her his most winning smile. “Waller told you to get me today, didn’t she?”

“She’ll be back in two days and needs your report on the League of Assassins before then,” Lyla confirmed.  “I held her off as long as I could.”

“Sydney, right?” he asked, pulling out of the parking space and making his way through the garage.  “What’s she doing there anyway?”

“You know Waller.  Everything’s a secret until she needs you for a mission.  But I’ve heard whispers about some super soldier drug that was created in World War 2.  Apparently some ASIS agents were sent on a mission to recover it a few years ago. They both disappeared.  Whispers say one of them may have been recently sighted.”

“And Waller plans to beat it out of the ASIS director?” He thought about bringing up the guy he and Laurel had run into. It felt like too much of a coincidence for the two things not to be connected. But he didn’t exactly have the time to chase down another mystery. Not with everything about the League still fresh for him. So he’d wait until things died down and then, if he saw the man again, he’d bring it up to Waller.  

Lyla shrugged.  “You now know everything I do.  But Waller’s never been one to let anything go that might make ARGUS the envy of every other Black Ops organization in the world.”

“Hence my debrief on the League of Assassins?”

“Exactly.”

Tommy frowned as he drove through the streets of Starling.  “I’m not going to give her what she wants. The group is highly secretive.  Their methods, trainings, and--”

“And the magical drug that brought you back from death?”

“And that…” he said.  “They’re all off limits.”

“Didn’t you talk her into letting you go by telling her that you’d give her as much information as you could about the organization when you returned?”

There in laid the conundrum.  Tommy couldn’t give Waller anything about Nanda Parbat, or Ra’s, or the Lazarus Pit, because he knew the Director would exploit his knowledge and do whatever she could to get there.  On second thought- anyone she sent there would be killed on sight, and Tommy had seen the skills of the League members. How many agents would Waller have to lose before she would give up?  No, Tommy wouldn’t send anyone to their death to feed Waller’s curiosity.

“I might just go with ‘whatever they did to heal me, it also wiped my memory of them entirely’.” He grinned.

“Then be prepared for some electroshock therapy to try to regain your fake stolen memories.”

“Ouch,” Tommy laughed.  “Harsh much?”

“Have you  _ met _ Director Waller?” Lyla asked in reply.

He pulled up to the guard station and both he and Lyla showed their badges.  The steel blockade posts retracted into the ground and Tommy drove onto the lot.  He swallowed hard, watching the building grow as he inched closer and found a parking spot.  

Lyla was out of the car before him.  She graciously waited as he pulled himself together and stepped out of the car.  It wasn’t so much being back at ARGUS that he was dreading. But betraying Nyssa, after everything she’d done for him.  Would Waller want to know about the Crescent Order too? How much would he be able to hide their involvement? Waller had seen him after the Pit water.  She’d seen how it had affected him, and he’d had to explain to her what it meant, his thirst for blood that couldn’t be sated. And now he was… cured. That didn’t just happen by magic.  Okay, well it did, technically, exactly happen by magic. And that was the part that concerned Tommy. Because any of the things he’d experienced over the last couple of months- if they were ever exposed or exploited by someone like Amanda Waller.  Militaries and war would never be the same. The  _ world _ would never be the same.

They headed into the building that Tommy had entered any number of times.  He used to find solace in this place. And perhaps he would again, once this damned debrief was done.

“Agent Merlyn,” a voice called.

Tommy froze.  Because no, he was supposed to have two more days.  Lyla was supposed to debrief him, so she could help him cover up any of the holes in his story.  But not this, not her. She’d squeeze until he confessed every detail, or invented enough to sate her for the time being.

“Director Waller,” Tommy said, turning and facing her with a nod and a smile.  “You’re back early.”

“I got what I was looking for at ASIS,” she said, her voice clipped.  She was walking and didn’t slow as she passed him and Lyla. Tommy moved to keep up with her.  “I was disappointed to hear that you hadn’t had your debrief yet,” Waller continued. “So I’ve decided that I will personally administer it, to ensure that everything goes smoothly.”

He nodded, even as his stomach bottomed out.  Looked like he’d be inventing things left and right, for sure.  Enough vague details to keep her heading in one direction, even if it was the wrong one.  

“I’m looking forward to spending some time together,” he quipped, and followed her into the nearest interrogation room.  And he really,  _ really _ , was not.

\---

“They said, and I quote ‘we’re not looking for someone with the abundance of qualifications you have’,” Felicity groaned as Thea set the mug of coffee in front of her. 

“What the hell does that mean?” Her friend was wiping down the bar as they chatted. 

“It means,” she said as she played with the lip of her mug. “Kord Industries wants to hire someone with less experience, so they don’t have to pay them what they deserve.”

“Dicks, the lot of them. That can’t be right or legal.”

“Unfortunately that’s how business works.” She shrugged. “It’s not right but it’s not illegal either.”

“Well you’re better than them, so you’ll find somewhere amazing soon enough,” Thea reached over and squeezed Felicity’s hand.

To be honest, Felicity hadn’t really wanted the job at Kord Industries. Even if it was exactly the kind of tech job she would have vied for just a few years ago. It was almost tailor made with her in mind. But the idea of one more egomaniac boss who could turn on a dime, made her a little job shy. She didn’t want to dive head first into somewhere new until she did a thorough deep dive into everything about the next place she decided to work. She wouldn’t be blindsided again. So when Kord Industries passed her over, it was kind of a relief. She hadn’t been prepared to hack into their financial records.

“I should get downstairs. Still a contract killer on the loose,” Felicity said, wanting more than anything to change the subject. “Are you going to be joining us tonight?”

“I can’t. Mother dearest has requested my presence at home,” she replied, nudging the coffee closer to Felicity. “I think she wants me to make a final decision on my Merlyn Global shares. Which I already told her I’m not doing until Tommy figures out what he wants to do. We’re a united front on this. But you know Moira Queen, never met a choice she didn’t think she could influence.”

“I’m sure she just wants what’s best for you.”

“And she also doesn’t want MG to go to auction and get sold to some millennial from Silicon Valley,” Thea added with an eyeroll. “Truth be told I think Starling could use some new innovative blood in the business mix. Every major player in this city was connected to Malcolm in some way. And I’m not saying they knew what he was up to, but I also know you don’t stay on top without a few skeletons in your closet.”

“Plus you read through Oliver’s list.”

“What? No. I would never. That would be an invasion of…” she trailed off with a smile. “Okay fine. But he left the book sitting out, so that’s not on me. But I am serious about the suits in this city. It’s time for a change.”

“So make one,” she challenged, and when Thea scoffed Felicity felt the need to press. “I’m serious. You and Tommy have a chance to take what Malcolm did and push it to be something greater, something better. And I know you’re gonna say you already have a job, and so does Tommy. But that doesn’t mean you two can’t find a great start up or something to invest in, and merge with MG into something good. The city could use a little more good in it.”

Felicity caught the spark of an idea behind Thea’s eyes, but before she could inquire about it Oliver was headed towards them from the office upstairs. 

“Is that coffee?” he asked with a smile.

“Maybe,” Thea teased with a mug in her own hands. “But you’ve got legs you can come around and get your own.”

“Why did I hire her again?” 

“Nepotism,” Thea replied as she handed over her drink. “I gotta go. Felicity we’ll talk later.” She winked and then disappeared through the backroom.

Oliver watched for a moment before he turned his attention back to her. “What the hell was that about?”

“It’s Thea, it could literally mean anything.”

“Fair point,” he put his arm around her side and leaned in to kiss her cheek. “How did the interview go?”

“I didn’t get it.”

“Well they’re idiots.”

She kissed him softly. “I love you for saying that. But it wasn’t meant to be. I’ll find something else.”

“You’re rather calm about this.”

“Why wouldn’t I be calm?”

“If I remember correctly a day and a half ago you were hyperventilating into a paper bag about becoming assistant manager at Tech Village.”

“There was no paper bag,” she hit him playfully on the arm. “But I will admit, I was a little stressed before the interview. And that’s how I know I wasn’t supposed to get it.”

He didn’t look fully convinced and as much as she loved him, she didn’t have the energy to layout her whole thought process on the subject. So Felicity took him by the hand and dragged him with her towards the basement steps. “We have work to do.”

“Work or,” he stopped once they got to the bottom of the stairs and spun her into him, his hands settled on her hips. “ _ Work? _ ”

“You’re cute,” she replied with another kiss. “But John and Sara are on their way. So I don’t think they’d appreciate if we  _ worked _ in front of them.”

“We could call them and cancel, spend the evening just the two of us,” he was kissing up her neck. And as tempting as it would be to have a nice date night with him, she had an idea on how to finally track Floyd Lawton. 

“Not tonight,” she said moving them towards the door. “Once we get this lead on Deadshot, you and I can have so much alone time. But let me find him first okay?”

“What is this idea anyway? You were kind of vague on the phone.”

It’s because she knew exactly how he’d react when she brought it up. She got the idea shortly after Kord Industries called and told her they were going with someone else. And the wheels began to spin in her mind. Because Lawton’s business was, well shooting people, but he had to go for jobs sometimes. And even if he was in Starling for some reason, he didn’t seem like the type who wanted to be sitting stagnant. So all they had to do to flush Lawton out was to pose as someone looking to offer him a job, and then, well corner him.

She just needed Oliver to see that this was the best option. And even before that, she had to make sure she could contact Lawton at all.

“I’ll explain when Digg and Sara get here,” she said offhandedly as she sat in front of her screens. “Don’t want to have to repeat the details.”

“Felicity…”

“So how are Samantha and William?” Was it a low blow changing the subject to her boyfriend’s son? Maybe. But Felicity needed Oliver distracted enough so she could hack into the dark web and track Lawton.

“She got the job here in Starling,” he said, and he didn’t try and hide the nerves in his voice. “I was on the phone with her before I came down. She’s not sure yet if she wants to take it. But she’s considering it.”

She watched him as the smile drew across his features. She could tell he was already picturing spending days with his son. Ice cream after school and baseball games on Saturdays. But she knew Oliver well enough to know the prospect terrified him too. Especially when you factored in what they did for the city. 

“I hope she takes it,” she said, and they both knew she meant it. “I can’t wait to meet them.”

“I want that so much,” he sighed and took to leaning against a column. “I brought it up with her.”

“You didn’t have to do that Oliver.”

“I know,” he smiled as he looked at her. “But if Sam and William are going to move here, I want her to be aware of how important you are to my life. And that I won’t cut you out of things that matter.”

“What did she say to that?”

“She is open to meeting you,” he replied, biting his lip. “She said she’d like that to happen before I introduce William to you. And I told her I’d talk to you about it.”

“Of course I’ll meet her first,” Felicity replied. “I get the single mom concern remember? Donna Smoak may seem all fun and games, but she was super strict on who she introduced to me.”

“Thank you for being so understanding,” he strode over to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. “I love your patience.”

“Well you don’t get it on many things so enjoy it now.”

He laughed with her, but the moment his gaze focused on her screen, she knew. 

“What the--”

“Hey guys,” Digg said as he and Sara entered the room. “You said you had something on Lawton?”

Apparently their friends were not a big enough distraction for Oliver. “Felicity, what’s going on?”

“Don’t get mad,” she said, but she could see he was already on the verge of something close to it.

“What did we miss?” Sara looked between them. 

“I found a way to get Deadshot out in the open,” she said, steeling herself as much as possible.

“That’s amazing,” Digg clapped his hands as he moved closer to them. “How do we do that?”

She sighed and met Oliver’s eyes. Because even though he already knew what she had come up with, she needed him to hear it from her. She had to make him see this was the best way.

“One of us poses as a potential client, and gets him to meet us somewhere public,” she said in one breath. “After that we string him along until we get what we need.”

“Why would an expert marksman, like Lawton, agree to meet anyone in public?” Sara asked in confusion. “He’s smart enough to know it’s a trap.”

“Well,” Felicity looked back at her computer then at the team. “One of us can ask him. We’re meeting him for drinks tonight at eleven.”

\---

“No,”  Oliver said immediately, not even letting his brain settle on the fact that not only was this their best shot, it was also the only lead they’d had on Lawton since the assassin had been back in Starling.

“I’ll do it,” Sara said with a shrug.  “I mean, it would kinda have to be me anyway.”

“How do you figure?” Diggle asked, arms crossed over his chest.

Sara took a deep breath.  “Well, Oliver is too recognizable, and no offense Digg, but you are way too close to this situation to act logically around him.  Lawton would make you in half a second.” She turned her attention to Felicity. “And I’m the only other person with the skillset to hold their own, no offense, Felicity.”

“None taken,” Felicity said swiftly.  “I wasn’t planning on throwing my hat in that particular ring anyway.”

“If it’s anyone, it should be me,” Oliver protested.

“Ollie,” Sara chided.  “Too many people know you here.  And that’s good for some things. But not for this.  He’ll make you a target the instant he knows you’re double crossing him.  Not just you- but Thea, your mom, anyone he can link your name to. You and Digg can be backup, keep eyes on me to make sure nothing happens.”

He blew out a long breath, the full scope of the mission settling around him.  He would have to let Sara do the heavy lifting on this one.

And that’s how, a few hours later, Oliver found himself seated in a dark corner of a jazz bar downtown.  Diggle by his side, Sara in his direct line of vision and Felicity in his ear. John seemed just as tense, if not more, than he was and Oliver forced himself to exhale a calming breath.  This mission wouldn’t benefit from anyone being trigger happy. Even still, he didn’t like doing this so much in the open, with countless civilians nearby.

“He’s late,” John said with a sigh, his attention shifting from Sara to the front door.

“He’ll be here,” Felicity’s voice came through their comms, calm and assured.

Sara took another sip of her drink, her lips pulled into a pout.  She could be just another girl in a bar, listening to the music. Maybe she was right, she was the best person for this.  Her training with the League had surprised Oliver, but there was no denying she could handle herself.

“Incoming,” Felicity said quietly.

John’s attention shifted back to the door, but Oliver’s eyes stayed locked on Sara, and her eyes stayed on the live band at the front of the room.

Something in the air shifted, a tension that hadn’t been there before.  Oliver hadn’t always noticed things like that, but ever since Slade and the island, it had been like second nature for him.  

Floyd Lawton entered the bar, taking in the scene, surveying everyone in the place until he spotted Sara.  He strode right toward her, asking if the seat beside her was taken.

“I’m waiting for someone, actually,” she said, barely sparing him a glance.

Lawton huffed a humorless laugh.  “I’d be more careful who I insult, Ms. Finnegan,” he said, pulling out the chair beside her and sitting down.

At this, Sara glanced up, meeting his eyes.  “Nice to make your acquaintance, Mr. Deadshot,” she said with an easy smile.

“I don’t often have clients that request to meet face to face,” he answered, voice low.  Oliver could barely make out the words through the comms. “So I have to say you’ve already piqued my curiosity.”

Sara shrugged, taking another lazy sip from her cocktail.  “I do what needs to be done for my employer. I don’t ask questions and I don’t keep records.  I assume in your business that type of discretion is appreciated.”

Lawton gave her a small nod.  “And who is your employer, exactly?”

“If they wanted you to know that, they’d be here instead of me.”

He grinned wickedly.  “I don’t meet a lot of women like you, in my line of work.”  His hand brushed along the length of Sara’s arm.

“Ugh,” Felicity interjected through the comms.  “Please tell me he’s  _ not _ trying to hit on her right now?  That’s not the kind of hitman I thought he was.”

“Felicity,” Oliver said quickly.

“Right.  Sorry.” She cleared her throat.  “Sara, your phone isn’t close enough to him to download the spyware.  Can you get closer?”

Oliver swore under his breath, but Sara didn’t react at all.  Well, not to Felicity. Instead, she turned to face Lawton more fully, her chin once again resting on her fist.  She laughed at something he said, leaning a little closer to him.

“Perfect!” Felicity said.  “Hold that for ninety seconds.”

“Ninety seconds?” Oliver questioned, muting Digg and Sara briefly.  “Felicity-”

“I know,” she answered.  “I can see her on the security feed.  If there was another way, I’d take it.”

Oliver’s eyes moved from Sara to John, who’s fists were balled on the table top.  He looked ready to spring into action. “She’s okay, Digg,” he said quietly, before returning his comm to the group.

“I know what you do for a living,” Sara said, a little breathy, playing shy.  “I don’t know if it’s such a good idea.”

“Aw, come on, love,” Lawton cooed.  “A job is just a job. I’ve been sitting around on my ass for days waiting for my client to contact me.”  He slid his hand down her arm again, and then his grip tightened on her wrist. “And then you contact me out of the blue.  Somehow in the exact same city.” He sneered at her. “What kind of game do you think you’re playing here?”

Something sparked in Sara’s eyes- Oliver could see it, even from across the semi-crowded bar.  Lawton must have seen it too, before she was able to mask it, because he grinned again, wide this time.

“Someone isn’t the little doe she’s pretending to be,” he said with a laugh.

“We’re good, Sara!” Felicity said.  “Get out of there.”

“I’ve got other plans,” Sara said through gritted teeth.  Her hand went to her half-empty drink, splashing it in Lawton’s face.  It stunned him enough to loosen his grip and Sara twisted out of his grasp, on her feet and across the room before he’d barely had a chance to react.  That League training at it’s best, Oliver thought.

Plenty of people around them were staring now, and Lawton quickly ran a hand down his face, before pushing out of his seat and following her out.

“Digg, you take the back.  I’ll follow them out front,” Oliver said, standing and moving for the door.

He just pushed through into the cool night air when he saw Lawton round the corner into the alley.  Oliver followed, but stopped short when he made it to the alley. Sara had her bowstaff in her hands, and Lawton was moving toward her, a knife in one hand.  She grinned at him, spinning around in a blur before hitting the knife out of his hand with one end of the staff, and striking him across the face with the other end.  Within a matter of seconds, Lawton was flat on his back, unconscious.

“That was a bit anticlimactic,” Oliver said with a huff.

Sara shrugged.  “Boys underestimate me.”

Digg jogged over to them, the rage barely contained on his face.  Oliver pressed a hand to his friend’s chest, holding him back.

“He’ll meet justice,” Oliver said firmly.  “But not like this. Why don’t you grab the van so we can bring him to the police station?”

John tore his eyes away from Lawton’s unconscious form and gave Oliver a nod before heading for the van.

“Guys,” Felicity’s voice came through their comms.  “I’ve got something.”

“What is it?” Sara asked.

“Lawton just received a coded message.  It was routed through a dozen proxy servers, but it looks like it is payment information for a hit.”

“Can you crack the code?” Oliver asked.

“Working on it.”

“Let us know when you’ve got the mark.  We should get Lawton out of here before someone calls the police.”

“Copy that.”

Oliver turned back toward Lawton, ready to move him.  But Lawton’s eyes popped open, both hands going to the bowstaff in Sara’s hands.  He wrenched it free, swinging it at them. Springing to his feet, he swung the staff around again, as Sara and Oliver closed in on him.

“The untouchable Oliver Queen,” Lawton said, taking a step backward.  “You should’ve told me that was your employer, sweetheart. I could have warned you of my conflict of interest.”

“What conflict of interest?” Oliver growled.

Lawton was at the back door of the club now, and he swung the staff up, connecting the end with the light over the door, shrouding them in darkness.

It took a moment for Oliver’s eyes to adjust, but he was already moving, running toward where Lawton had been a second ago, with Sara right beside him.

Deadshot was several paces ahead of them, using Sara’s staff to push any obstacle into their path that he could.  And it was working. Lawton was pulling away from them, even as he slowed to throw trash cans and debris in their path.

“Digg, where are you?” Oliver shouted into the comm.

And then headlights appeared at the other end of the alley, and Oliver could see John behind the wheel.  When the scene came into focus, Diggle hit the gas, speeding down the narrow alley, heading straight for Lawton.

“John,” Oliver said, slowing his pace a fraction.  But the van didn’t slow. Lawton jumped onto a dumpster and reached for the fence beside him, to scale over it.  But the van still didn’t slow.

“John!” Oliver said again.

Diggle veered to the right, hitting into the fence right where Lawton was climbing.  The assassin screamed, falling against the hood of the van as Diggle came to a stop.

“Dammit! He broke my leg!” Lawton cried as Oliver and Sara approached.

John wrenched the van door open, jumping out from behind the wheel to stare down at the man.  “You’re lucky that’s all I did,” he spat.

Recognition seemed to fill Deadshot after a moment.  He smiled, blood staining his teeth. “John Diggle,” he said with a nod.  “I remember you from my recon of your brother.”

John pulled a gun from his holster and aimed it at Lawton, his hands shaking as he did.  “Don’t talk about him. Don’t you  _ dare _ !” Diggle roared.

“Okay, okay,” Lawton said, huffing a pained laugh as he raised his hands in defense.

Oliver’s eyes were intent on his friend.  “John,” he said cautiously, taking another step toward Lawton.

“He deserves it,” John said, ire filling his voice.

“I know,” Oliver answered, taking another step forward.  “But--”

“Guys,” Felicity’s voice came through the comms again.  She cleared her throat. “I know things are tense there.  But we’ve got a bigger problem.”

“What is it, Felicity?” Sara asked.

“I don’t know who hired him yet.  But I know who Lawton’s mark is.”

“Who?”

There was a slight quiver in her voice when she answered.  “It’s Tommy.”


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ready for another go? I bet you're not lol.
> 
> love ya,  
> Kayla

He woke up alone, Laurel’s side of the bed vacant, but still warm. He knew she had court today but Tommy had hoped for a few uninterrupted minutes in bed with his girlfriend. Especially after the night he had.

After Waller had pulled him into a cold interrogation room for his debriefing, he didn’t know what to do. His mind flashed back to before he left for Nanda Parbat. Before he knew exactly where he was headed, before he spent time with the League, before he got to know their fighting styles and practices. 

It’s not like he felt a shred of loyalty to the assassins. He hadn’t come to care for them, and he knew the majority would sooner slit his throat than ever meet his eye in friendship. But that’s not why his words stuck so heavily in his throat. 

It wasn’t the League or even Ra’s that had Tommy pulling his words back deep down inside him. But Nyssa whose face flashed in his mind. Nyssa whose letter to Sara was still tucked into his pocket, who had helped him, and chanced her own position with her father for him. 

She said she owed him a debt. And if she had risked falling out of favor with her own father, to pay that debt, didn’t he owe it in return to keep their secrets? At least as best he could.

So he played up the threat Ra’s had made. Not that he doubted for a second the Demon’s head or his words about seeking retribution should Tommy return under ill circumstances, but for his boss he made it very clear what would happen if he spilled anything he had seen or heard about while with the League. How easy it would be for Ra’s al Ghul to start a war. And given how close she had come to losing her position as director earlier that year to General Shrieve, he knew she wouldn’t want that.

He could tell how pissed she was, but Amanda Waller didn’t get to where she was by being reckless. And an all out war against the League of Assassins was definitely reckless. 

He knew she wouldn’t let him go without giving her something, so Tommy did the only thing he could think of at the time. He gave her the name of the men he had killed. It looked so short when she wrote them down. But each of their faces flashed in his mind as he said them. He didn’t tell her who they were, or why they were connected. Just that she should look into their families and their business practices. And after that she let him go.

He hoped it would sate her curiosity for a while, but he also knew he would have to keep his guard up. Waller could change her mind on the League front. And he would have to be ready if she did.

A peel of laughter sounded from the living room, and Tommy pushed himself up and out of bed to follow the sound of his girlfriend.

But it wasn’t just Laurel he saw when he came up the hall. Thea sat on the other end of the couch, Dubs in her lap and licking at her face. 

He couldn’t help the warmth he felt in seeing them all so happy, in feeling that happiness himself. He would never be over how good it felt to be home.

“It’s about time you woke up,” Thea said as the puppy jumped from the couch and ran over to him.

“Nice to see you too, sis,” he knelt to pet Dubs and then moved to drop a kiss on Laurel’s forehead. “Morning.”

“Hey,” she smiled then checked her watch. “I have to get to work. But I will see you tonight at my Dad’s.”

“Tonight?”

“Dinner,” she prompted.

“With your dad and Sara,” he added as it clicked. “I remember.”

“Have a good day,” she said as she grabbed her briefcase. “Thea I will see you later. Dubs, stay out of my shoes.”

Dubs barked once then plopped himself on his dog bed in the corner.

Once the door closed, and they were left alone he found his sister beaming up at him.

“What’s with the look?”

She shrugged, but her smile never faltered. “It’s just nice to see you both so happy.”

“It’s nice to feel this happy,” he replied, settling into the cushions. “I didn’t really think it was possible after everything that happened. But I’m glad I was wrong.”

She sighed, and he could see something shift in her features. He could tell she didn’t just come for a morning hello.

“What’s going on Thea?”

“Mom, Walter, and I sat down last night and had a talk,” she said with a sigh. “She wanted me to make a decision on my MG shares. She seems to think we’re running out of time to make our own choices.”

“Did you tell her I was meeting with the lawyers and some of the board members yesterday?”

“Yes I did. And she thinks they’re gonna try and get you to sell off your shares to them, giving them controlling interest in the company.”

“Well that didn’t happen,” he assured her. “I told you that we would decide this together. If you want to sell I’m with you. If you want to keep it, we can do that too. Get a better CEO in there, turn things around.”

“Well I actually had an idea about that. And it’s a little crazy, but,” she paused. “I think it could be something good. Not just good for the company or for us. But it would be. But it's also good for this city. And I think after what happened we could all use a little more good.”

“Okay you have my attention. Mind telling me the idea?”

Thea took a moment, almost like she was weighing the best approach. Straight forward or beating around the bush? He had seen that calculating look a dozen or more times before. And it was the first time since learning they were related, that Tommy saw more of Moira in her than Malcolm.  _ Good.  _ He liked seeing less of their father reflected in her eyes.

“Felicity.”

“What about her?”

“She needs a job, we have a company.” She looked so over the moon about this. “Before you question me, hear me out. Felicity can’t find a job because she is too good and overqualified for like anything entry level. And what’s total bs, is she shouldn't be stuck doing entry level work in the first place. She’s brilliant. She could do so much good in this world if she just had the backing and the resources.”

“Speedy, I don’t think Felicity would want to come back and work for Merlyn Global.”

“I was kinda thinking she could run things, not just work there.”

“Thea.”

“I get that it would be a hard sell,” she continued. “And I understand why. But she wants to do something extraordinary. And she has the ideas for it. She just needs someone to look her in the eye and say ‘I believe in you enough to take a risk’. We could be that someone.”

“We could also be the people she turns down with a hard ‘no’.”

“I don’t think she’ll say no,” Thea insisted. “I think after all the crap that’s happened, she feels lost and aimless. But if we present her with this direction, if we give her a chance to change the world, I think she could do it.”

“Even if that’s true, the board isn’t just going to let us give Felicity control? And what are we talking about anyway? A CEO position? A stake in the company? We aren’t authorized to make those choices,” he felt Dubs move towards him pawing at his leg. “They’ll have concerns and a million questions.”

“Okay I realize I have taken less business classes than you, but I’ve also failed less of them,” she teased. “I mean we present Felicity as the new CEO for MG. After a bit of time she can rebrand the company, breathe some new life into it. Work her Felicity magic.”

“Again the board isn’t going to want us to just drop the CEO position into the lap of someone not prepared for it.”

“So we run the idea past Felicity, give her time to think on it, and when she comes up with something kickass, then we present it to the board.”

“Before I meet with them formally next week?”

“It’s not an ideal time frame, but yes.”

He didn’t want to shoot Thea down. In fact her idea sounded amazing. Felicity was always talking tech ideas and ways to change the world with them. But so soon after the Markov device and then Cooper, he wasn’t sure she was ready to push herself into something like this.

“Can we just talk to her? Show a united front and maybe she’ll say yes.”

“And if she doesn’t?” Because they had to think about this realistically.

Thea rolled her eyes, but reached over into her bag and pulled out a file. “Mom and Walter threw out some suggested companies if we think about selling it off.”

He took the folder from her and flipped it open. “I’m kinda surprised QC isn’t at the top of this list.”

“Shocking right?” she mused. “But Mom said she didn’t want it. Something about it being up to us what happens to it. I don’t know, she got kinda weird about it. Then asked how you were.”

He nodded, but focused back on the list. He and Moira hadn’t really talked since the truth about Thea’s parentage had come out. And he didn’t have it in him to face her after all that. Not just yet. 

“Palmer Tech?”

“Their CEO is apparently doing some amazing things with nanotechnology,” Thea rolled her eyes. “I almost fell asleep when we got that far down. But that’s when my idea sparked into a full fledged plan.”

“You’re not going to give in on this are you?”

“Have you ever met me?”

He sighed. “Okay, fine we will talk to Felicity. Just to see how she feels about it.”

“That’s all I ask,” Thea grinned. And he could tell she knew long before they started talking that she’d get him to agree. Thea just had that effect on people.

He was about to offer her breakfast when someone knocked on the door. Dubs got up and barked a few times, before Tommy could make it over there.

“Yes we get it, you’re tough,” he said, moving past the pup to open the door.

Oliver stood there, Felicity at his side. But the looks on their faces told him whatever this was, it wasn’t just a morning social call. 

“Hey guys. What’s up?”

“Do you have a minute?” Felicity asked, biting on her lower lip. “It’s kinda important.”

“Yeah, Thea and I were just talking but come on in.”

At the mention of their sister, he saw a look pass over Oliver’s face. He and Felicity moved into the apartment, their eyes never leaving each other’s. And he had to wonder what silent argument they were playing through. 

“You two are kind of being weird. So what’s up?”

“This isn’t easy to say,” Felicity began, shooting a look to Thea. “And I would rather say it when we’re alone. But we debated when to tell you all night and we should just come out and say it. Like super fast and easy and--”

“Someone put a hit on you through Floyd Lawton,” Oliver interrupted, a look of anger on his face. “And we need to figure out who and fast. Before they hire someone else to do the job.”

 ---

Telling Tommy about being a mark for an assassin- and one like Floyd Lawton, no less- hadn’t been an easy decision.  Well, Felicity knew they’d have to tell him, but the  _ when _ of it was more the problem.  Sure, they could have rushed right over and told him the night before, but he was just settling back into a routine with Laurel, and they really didn’t need to interrupt that.

Tommy blew out a long breath as he digested the news.  “Are we sure the intel is credible?” he asked. Felicity gave him a look.  “Right, of course. Okay so I’ve only got about half a city that’s anti-Merlyn these days.  If word is out that I’m back in the city, then it could literally be anyone.”

“Someone with the money to hire someone like Lawton,” Felicity corrected.  “And he’s been in the city for a couple weeks now. He resurfaced the day you came home from Nanda Parbat but was in the wind just as quickly.”

Oliver stepped in.  “According to Lawton, he was summoned but wasn’t given a target until last night.”

“According to Lawton?” Thea parrotted.  “You talked to the assassin?”

“Something like that,” Oliver said coolly.

“Sara did,” Felicity added.  “And then Digg called Lyla. She brought him into ARGUS last night.”

“So everyone, including my partner at ARGUS knew about this before me?” Tommy asked, although his voice didn’t hint at any frustration.  It was more like he was trying to get his bearings.

“It was a fast moving situation,” Oliver said.  “And then Lawton was in custody and it was later than we wanted to disturb you.  Besides, we figured you were in for the night.”

Felicity nodded.  “Plus we intercepted Lawton’s cell phone.  So it’s possible whoever hired him doesn’t even know he’s been compromised yet.  We just wanted to warn you, because…” she pushed out a breath. “Well because we want you to stay safe.  Until the threat is neutralized.”

Oliver gave her a curious look.

“What?” Felicity added with a shrug.  “I watch spy movies. I know what that means.”

That seemed to break the tension, at least momentarily.  And then Dubs started barking at the door.

“I appreciate you guys coming down here to tell me,” Tommy said, moving for the door.  He bent down and hooked the puppy up to his leash. “But I’ve been trained by both ARGUS and the League.  I think I can probably handle myself.”

Oliver leaned against the door, keeping his friend from opening it.  “Lawton uses poisoned bullets. That’s why he never misses. Because even if he just grazes someone, the poison does the rest of the dirty work.  You can’t out-fight a sniper rifle Tommy. Please, just lay low for a bit until we can figure this out.”  

His voice was rough with emotion, and it wasn’t hard to get the rest of what he’d left unsaid.  Felicity was thinking the same thing.  _ Because we just got you back. _

Tommy let out another sigh and then offered Oliver the leash.  “Well then looks like Starling’s very own vigilante is on puppy walking duty,” he said with a smirk.  “There are waste bags over there.”

Oliver frowned, taking the leash.  “Waste bags for…” he started, and then trailed off, shooting Tommy a glare.

The other man just shrugged.  “I didn’t make the rules.”

“I’ll go with you, Ollie,” Thea said, grabbing a bag and following him out into the hallway.  

The door closed behind them, leaving Tommy and Felicity alone in the apartment together.  He was looking at her curiously, like he was trying to figure something out about her.

“What?” Felicity asked, feeling self-conscious.  “Do I have hair sticking up somewhere?” she smoothed her hair down just in case.

Tommy shook his head.  “Just thinking about something Thea said.”

“Oh.”  But she still felt flustered.  “Yeah, she was here before we got here.  And I mean we showed up pretty early.” She wanted to ask what he was holding back, what Thea had brought up to him that had him looking at her like that.

“It’s nothing really,” he started.  “I mean, I don’t want to say anything without her, since it was her idea.  But it was pretty fortuitous, you showing up when you did.”

“Tommy,” Felicity warned.  “You know how much I hate mysteries.”

He laughed.  “It’s nothing bad,” he said, holding his hands up in defense.  “Just trying to wrap my mind about it, before I figure out how to talk to you about it.”

She narrowed her eyes.  “You better stop talking, unless you’re going to spill the beans.”  Felicity crossed her arms over her chest. “Because all you’re doing now is making me more curious.”

“Sorry.”  Tommy moved to the kitchen.  “Coffee? I could use a cup myself.”  He ran a hand through his still bed-mussed hair.

“Always.”

Felicity followed him to the kitchen.  “Seems like you’ve settled back in pretty quickly,” she mused, taking a coffee mug from him when he offered.  He filled the cup up, leaving room for a bit of cream.

“I don’t know,” Tommy said with a sigh.  “Something about being with Laurel is just…”

“Easy,” Felicity answered for him.  “I know a bit about that.” She added some cream and sugar, stirring the cup before taking a tentative sip.

“You and Ollie have always been that way too,” he agreed.  “I knew it from the moment I saw you two around each other back in that Russian’s basement.”

Felicity laughed.  “Ah, back when we were running from ARGUS and life was simpler.”

“Don’t know if I’d go that far,” Tommy said, taking a sip from his own cup of steaming java.  “But we were definitely younger, dumber, and more naive.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Felicity said with a smile.  It certainly wasn’t lost on her, what the last three years had wrought on all of their lives.  Her heart still ached whenever she thought about the hand she’d had in the destruction of the Merlyn Global building and the others downtown.  Her mind still replayed what she could have done differently over the years to get a different result.

But somehow over the last few days, she’d found a way to put everything that had happened with Cooper in a box and bury it deep within her.  She hadn’t fully grieved, or processed everything that had transpired. Cooper was alive? And he’d kidnapped her? It sounded more like a bad dream than something that had happened to her.  Even if she still had bruises on her arm like a battle scar. But she had found a way to push passed it. She knew she needed to use the anger and anguish as fuel to move passed it all, to rise from the ashes like a phoenix, or whatever tech-type equivalent of that she could muster.

There was something in the depths of her, telling Felicity that there was still more work for her to do.  It urged her ever-forward in her work with Team Arrow. But after her brief stint working for Cayden James, Felicity wondered if there was something else she could be doing.  Something bigger, in the grand scheme of things, than just hacking her way into security footage so she could keep an eye on the vigilantes she worked with at night.

Her phone let out a ding and Felicity pulled herself from her thoughts.  She’d set up a trace on the proxy servers used to send Deadshot the coded message last night.  Had her program come up with something already?

She retrieved her phone and glanced at the screen, the information contained there surprising and overwhelming.

“Everything okay?” Tommy asked, his brow furrowed.

Felicity shook her head.  “It’s this new program I’ve been working on,” she sighed, scrolling through her phone.  “It’s kind of a digital background check, but more thorough. It pulls from CCTV using facial recognition, plus email, bank records, phone calls.  It basically compiles evidence that on its own would be overlooked, but in the grand scheme of things paints a picture of a specific person. In this case, the person who hired Lawton to take you out.”

Tommy cleared his throat.  “And we have a winner?” he asked, keeping his tone light, despite the circumstances.

“We do,” she said, turning her phone toward Tommy to get a look at the image on the screen.

“Sebastian Blood?” he questioned.

“Apparently smearing your name in the media wasn’t enough for him.  Although I can’t imagine why he’d go to these lengths. It’s not like you’re running against him for mayor.”

Tommy scrolled through the phone looking through the evidence as the door to the apartment opened.  Felicity glanced over her shoulder to find Oliver and Thea returning with Dubs. Thea unhooked the puppy and he bounded into the kitchen, jumping up at Tommy’s leg.

“Any idea who this guy is?” Tommy said, turning the phone back around.  “He bumped into me at the pet adoption thing the other day. I remember he gave me the creeps.  And he knew Laurel by name.”

Felicity frowned at the photo.  She  _ did _ recognize him.  It was the man from that day at the club.  With the eyepatch and Australian accent. He’d stopped her outside and said Blood was looking for a place to hold his candidacy lunch.

“Yeah,” Felicity said.  But she didn't get the chance to explain.

Behind her, Oliver sucked in a breath.  “He  _ is _ alive,” he said quietly, swearing under his breath.

“Who is it?” Thea asked.

“Someone dangerous,” Oliver said.  Felicity could already see the tension in him as he spoke.  “A man I met on the island.” He swallowed hard. “His name is Slade Wilson.”

\---

This couldn’t be happening. As much as the thought had crossed his mind over the last couple weeks, he never actually believe Slade could be alive. That he could be here in Starling. Bile threatened to rise in him, and it took all his strength to lean himself against the kitchen counter.

“The man from the island. The one you told me about,” Felicity met his gaze, so much understanding already blooming in her eyes. “This is  _ him. _ He’s who’s behind the mask?”

“I thought he was dead.” He could see Thea and Tommy exchange a glance. “I was sure he was dead. If I thought, truly thought he could… I would have done something by now. Stopped him somehow.”

“Something tells me you two didn’t part on friendly terms,” Tommy quipped and it was almost enough to coax a smile from him. Almost.

“No, we didn’t,” he sucked in a breath. The fear of Tommy and Thea learning the worst of him was no match for the fear that Slade could come after either of them. “He blamed me for someone be both cared about ending up dead.”

He hadn’t told Felicity the rest of the story. He couldn’t bring himself to admit that he had chosen Sara over Shado based solely on her connection to his old life. On the family he knew would mourn for her if she died on the island. It had been that betrayal that had twisted Slade against him. 

“That Shado woman?” Thea asked meeting his gaze for a fraction of a second. “When we talked you said she died.”

“Not exactly,” and he felt Felicity slide next to him, her hand wrapping around his own. “She was killed. Because of me.”

Then he told them the whole story. How he had found Sara again, Slade getting hurt and them injecting him with the miracle drug to save his life. Ivo making Oliver pick between Sara and Shado. He could still hear the shot echoing so loud against his skull, silencing a life just because he couldn’t lose a piece of home.

“We fought,” he said, bringing the story to a close. “Sara was pulled under the current again and I thought she was dead. So I did the only thing I could do. I ended Slade before he could let that ugliness continue to push him forward. But I guess the mirakuru was stronger or something. I don’t know. He shouldn’t be here.”

Felicity nodded, and he wondered if she was thinking about her own ghost that had resurfaced. “This isn’t your fault,” she said and he heard the steel in her voice. “Tell me you know that.”

“I should have made sure he was--”

“Ollie,” Tommy cut him off, shaking his head. “As good as you are, you wouldn’t have had a reason to suspect anything else.”

“You don’t get how dangerous Slade is. He taught me so much of what I know,” he pulled back from them as he paced the floor. “And if he’s in Starling City, it is not for a good reason.”

“Okay well,” Felicity moved towards him as she shrugged. “Then we figure out how to stop him, as a team.”

“It won’t be that simple. I barely beat him once. And I can’t do that again,” he shuddered at the memory. “I don’t think I have it in me to do  _ that _ again.”

“You won’t have to,” she whispered, her hand coming to rest against his cheek. “I promise we will figure this out.”

“Well what does he want?” Thea asked and the rest of them couldn’t help but focus on her. “I’m serious okay? I know I’m new to the loop of baddies and such, but he sounds like a guy who would have an endgame. So what is it?”

“He’s working for Sebastian Blood,” Felicity supplied. “Or with, maybe? I know his cover about scouting locations had to be real because they had the fundraiser the next night.”

“The same fundraiser Deadshot attacked?” he asked and she nodded.

“If Blood hired Lawton on some long term deal to eventually take a shot at me,” Tommy grumbled as his dog seemed eager to pull his attention. “Why would he shoot up his own fundraiser?”

“To get the attention of the vigilante,” he supplied. “We figured Deadshot was calling us out.”

“But why? There’s easier ways to get you out in public then endangering innocent lives right?”

“Maybe he thought he could garner sympathy off it,” too many thoughts were rushing through his head. They had to get to the bottom of this. “If someone attacked his fundraiser, he could make it look like a hit from the wealthy in Starling.”

“Grade A douche is what he looks like,” Thea muttered with a smirk. “We should see if there’s a way to get closer to his campaign and scope things out.”

“Absolutely not,” Tommy and he said in unison. 

“Overprotective much?” she quipped. “I wasn’t meaning me. If we want someone to get close to this is can’t be someone close to you, Ollie. Which leaves out everyone in this room.”

“Are you about to suggest the boyfriend?” Tommy asked as he shot her a look.

“I was,” she gave him a mock glare. “Look Roy just wants to clean up the Glades. Everything he’s done for the last couple years will attest to that.”

“Except dating Starling royalty,” Felicity added. “It’s a noble idea, but if Blood or Slade suspect he’s hanging around for other reasons, it could end badly for him.”

“Felicity’s right,” Oliver took a step closer to her. “I don’t want to risk getting Roy hurt in this. In fact it would be better if you all lie low until we figure out how to deal with this.”

“Isn’t that gonna be more suspicious? If we all fully disappear from the public?”

Tommy had a point. If Thea stayed away from the club people would notice. If they convinced his mother and Walter to stay away from the office, the public would notice. And if word got around that everyone close to him was staying out of the public eye… He couldn’t risk Slade knowing they were onto him yet. He couldn’t risk whatever tricks Slade had up his sleeve.

“Then what do we do?” He wanted a plan of action. He needed something to go after to end all this. Because it felt like he was already being dragged under. And all he could do was sit and wait to drown.

His mind flashed to Samantha and William. She wanted to move here. She could very well make that move in the coming weeks. And the thought of Slade Wilson coming for not just the family around him, but his son? He wouldn’t let that happen.

“I’ll go to ARGUS, see if I can dig up anything on Blood or Slade,” Tommy supplied as he stood. “Maybe get in to talk with Lawton. He has to know something more.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Felicity questioned, though Oliver had noticed how quiet she had been.

“I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it,” he replied. “But I won’t sit here and hide. Not if this guy is as dangerous as you say.”

He moved towards the bedroom, and Thea blew out a long sigh. “I know you don’t want me to ask him, but Roy could be a lot of help. Blood’s campaign is running, ironically a blood drive in the Glades today. He could go scope it out, get some intel? Besides he’s been itching to help for days now.”

“Just,” he paused, knowing there was no stopping Thea now that her mind was set. “Tell him to be careful. If he gets himself hurt and it hurts you, I’m gonna be pissed.”

“Deal,” she said as she pulled him into a hug. “Oh and if you’re gonna insist on a bodyguard for me, can I pick Sara over Mr. Diggle? At least then it will feel more like we’re just hanging out.”

Of course she already knew he was going to call the others. But he needed to tell Sara first, in person. “Digg for now. Let me debrief Sara on all this. She deserves to hear it from me.”

Thea nodded. Then waved to Felicity before she headed to the door. “I will talk to you guys later.”

“Stay safe,” Felicity said as his sister left the apartment. 

Felicity was still quiet, her focus seemed hazy at best.

“Are you okay?” he asked coming to stand next to her. “You seem a little… off.”

“I’m just thinking,” she said as she finally looked at him. “About Cooper.”

“You think he was part of all this?”

“He said he didn’t know who hired him for the hack,” she shrugged. “And I guess I believe him. But if he was picked for a reason, that reason was to get to me.”

“Which means Slade and Blood are going to target everyone I care about in unsuspected ways?”

“Maybe,” she let her head fall against his shoulder. “I think we need to let Tommy use ARGUS resources to figure this out. And in the meantime, you and I can come at this from a different angle.”

“How so?”

“Well the only thing that could derail Sebastian Blood’s bid for mayor, is another candidate. Someone with potential to beat him,” she replied.

“Got anyone in mind?”

“Sadly not at the moment. But we’ll figure something out,”  She placed a hand against his cheek. “Hey Amanda Waller, Malcolm Merlyn, the countless things that have tried to come between us. If we can beat all those, we can beat this too.”

“I love you.” Because he didn’t think he could agree with her. Not when he knew just how ruthless Slade could be. If it came down to it, he had to end Slade before he could hurt the people he loved. Even if it meant destroying his soul once more.

She pulled him in for a kiss, and he let his thoughts soften. How could he not while being so close to her?

When they parted Oliver heard his phone ring. He should ignore it. But as soon as he saw his mother’s name flash across the screen, he knew she’d just track him down if he didn’t talk to her now.

“Mom this isn’t the best time,” he said as he pressed the phone to his ear. “Can I call you back later.”

“Actually this is important,” she replied and he had to stifle a groan as she continued. “I wanted to tell you this in person, well you and Thea both. But considering you are both so busy with your lives and the news is dropping tonight, there is hardly any time.”

“What news Mom?”

“I am running for mayor,” she stated as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

Things weren’t computing for him. He heard her, he knew he had. And he knew there was nothing complex about the sentence. But it’s resonance felt entirely out of sync with the world.

“Since when?” he turned to Felicity who was looking at him in confusion. ‘My mother is running for mayor.’ He mouthed, then spoke again. “I mean what brought this on?”

“It happened so fast, and although I usually like to weigh options more heavily, this felt right,” she paused in their conversation to give someone a set of directions. “Especially considering that Sebastian Blood and the horrible campaign he’s been running. Have you read the things that man has said about Tommy?”

“Yeah, Mom I have.” And so much more.

“Well I for one do not want a mayor in our city who would attack an innocent man based on who his father was,” she scoffed. “And Sebastain’s former campaign manager could not agree more. That’s why we’re hosting my announcement at the mansion tonight. You’ll being Felicity, yes? And tell Tommy and Laurel they’re invited as well.”

But he had stopped listening after his mother said campaign manager. Because surely, surely she couldn’t mean what he thought she said. 

“You’re working with Blood’s campaign manager?”

“Really Oliver would it kill you to listen to me,” she huffed. “Yes Mr. Wilson worked on Sebastain’s campaign but he assures me he left due to Alderman Blood’s eagerness to target the Merlyn name in every speech and interview. I think you’ll like him sweetheart. And you’ll get a chance to meet him tonight. The party starts at eight. So please be early. I cannot have my own children showing up late to my announcement.”

She hung up without a goodbye, and Oliver couldn’t help but stare at his phone. Things were so much worse than he could have thought they’d get. 

Tommy had wandered back out from his room, and his voice was the first thing to cut through the wave of panic that threatened to take over. 

“Ollie, what’s wrong?”

“We have another problem,” he said swallowing down the urge to scream. “A huge problem.”

\---


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again lovelies, welcome back. Did you survive the crossover? Are you in mourning, or ignoring that it happened all together? Welllll, we've got some goodness in store for you in the Wake Verse. So pull up a chair, or couch or bed or wherever you read this, and get ready to enjoy. Things are really picking up now, and we hope you continue to enjoy the final installment of our 'verse.
> 
> xoxo,  
> Cassie

He wasn’t sure exactly how he’d gotten out of his apartment, other than reminding them all of the dire straits they were in. The former ally of Oliver’s from the island, Slade Wilson, was stirring up trouble in Starling.  And not only that, they’d just found out the man was Moira’s new campaign manager. Trouble was brewing. And Tommy Merlyn had never been one to sit on the sidelines. Whether or not Sebastian Blood had put a hit out on him the night before, it didn’t stop the work that needed to be done.

And right now, Tommy Merlyn needed to be at ARGUS to interrogate the man contracted to kill him.

Surprisingly, Waller had been the easier one to convince to let him into the interrogation room.  She’d dismissed him with a nod to follow through with what he’d come to do. Lyla, on the other hand, had been the holdout.

“You haven’t even been back a week,” she protested.  “Don’t you want to give yourself some--”

“I don’t,” Tommy said, moving passed her to the door of the interrogation room.  “What I want is to get back to my life. And sometimes, that means doing tough things.”

“Like interrogating a man contracted to kill you?”

Tommy turned back to face her, exhaling and taking a moment to compose himself.  “I get that you’re trying to help, Lyla, I really do. But I’m not the rookie you’ve been stuck with the last two months.  And I don’t need you to protect me.”

He turned back to the door and disappeared through it.  The man cuffed to the table was in rough shape. Almost every inch of exposed flesh was bruised and there was blood dried across his face.  His one leg was wrapped in bandages, but from what Tommy had heard, there were at least three bones that needed to be set before a cast could go on.

Even still, Floyd Lawton glanced at Tommy as he entered the door, and the assassin actually smirked.

“Mr. Merlyn,” Lawton drawled.  “You’re making my job of finding and killing you infinitely easier.”

Tommy scoffed, taking a seat across the table from Deadshot.  He was in control of this interrogation, not Lawton. And Tommy was going to damn well make sure the man understood that.  “That leg looks painful. We’ve got a world class medical team on staff here. Unless of course you want a debilitating limp for the rest of your life.”

“I’m not telling you a thing.”  Lawton leaned back in his chair, looking relaxed, even though Tommy knew the man had to be anything but.

“That’s fine,” Tommy said with a shrug.  “We can sit here in silence. I’ll just go over the financial records I just received from a good friend of mine.  Said friend happens to be a hacker. The same hacker that cracked the code and discovered that the person that brought you here was mayoral candidate Sebastian Blood.” He paused, glancing through the file folder in front of him.  “If she could crack that code in just a few minutes, what do you think she’s found out about you in the last seven hours?”

Lawton tensed, but didn’t open his mouth to speak.  The wheels were turning in his brain, and Tommy knew that he had a chance.

“Being a man of… discerning talents,” Tommy continued.  “I’m sure very few people know the real man from the alias.  What exactly do you think Susie and Zoe would have to say about how their husband and father spends his time?”

The assassin’s eyes narrowed.  “You don’t have anything on me.”

“You mean aside from the names literally tattooed on your body of all the people you’ve killed?  How about the phone we recovered from the scene you were fleeing, where a covert sting operation caught you in the act of soliciting money for murder.”

“Covert?” Lawton scoffed.  “You mean your good buddy Oliver Queen?  You expect me to believe he’s part of this agency too?”

“I think you’re forgetting the most important part of this whole conversation,” Tommy said, sliding a photo across the table.  In it, a woman and a young girl were sitting on a park bench. “What do you think little Zoe would say if she knew the kind of man you are?”

“I ain’t the daddy type,” Lawton said.  “I provide for them the best I can.”

“Oh, you mean the blind trust set up in your daughter’s name?  Yeah, she won’t get a penny of that if you’re convicted of even one the murders we’re lining up to pin on you.”  Tommy took the image back, sorting through the rest of the pages and filing them neatly back into the folder. “The medical team is going to look in on you now.  See what they can do to make you a little more comfortable. But don’t mistake it for hospitality. From what I hear, the Director has some… interesting plans for you.”

That part may have been a bluff, but only halfway.  Tommy remembered the information Felicity had discovered about Waller three years ago back in Russia.  About Task Force X and the people that Waller had dog-eared to be part of it. He remembered Lawton’s name from the list.  It might be old intel, but Deadshot didn’t need to know that. Besides, knowing Director Waller, that might still be on the back burner somewhere, waiting for the right interested party to come along to fund it.

Tommy stood and moved to the door.  He wasn’t sure he’d said enough to get Lawton to turn, to get him to talk.  But he hoped after some medical attention and some time to think about it, that the assassin for hire would be ready to make a deal.

“Take it from someone who knows what a non-existent father figure is like,” Tommy said at the door.  “It’s not about the money. It’s about the time you spend with them.” And then he exited the room.

To his surprise, Lyla was nowhere to be found.  He had expected her to be watching, keeping an eye on him to make sure his head was in the game as he stared down the man contracted to kill him.  But it was Waller that stood there in Lyla’s place.

“Director,” Tommy said, offering her a nod.

“I see your memory hasn’t been affected by your time away.”  Her tone hard but the words were whispered.

“Something like Task Force X isn’t easy to forget,” he acknowledged.

“You’ve always possessed a special ability, Agent Merlyn,” Waller said, smoothing the non-existent wrinkles on her skirt.

“Oh?”

“You have the unique talent of seeing beyond bravado and cutting to the quick of a person with little difficulty.”  She paused. “Although it is curious that the financial records you referenced weren’t uncovered by any of our searches here at ARGUS.”

Tommy cut his eyes toward the Director as they both stood facing the two-way mirror, watching the medical team file in to assess the damage done to Lawton’s leg.  He remembered how badly Waller had wanted Felicity. How he’d traded himself for her freedom those years ago. Felicity was off the table, and Waller knew it. Even if she liked to press that particular button a little too frequently to see how steadfast his resolve was.  He didn’t take the bait.

“Sometimes people need motivation beyond brute strength,” Tommy answered.  “I’m not above threatening to destroy a man’s reputation with his family.”

“Whether or not you’d follow through is the real question though, isn’t it?”

“I won’t need to follow through.  And it doesn’t matter if you believe I’ll do it or not.  It only matters if he does.”

“And do you think he believes you?”

Tommy considered it for a moment.  He honestly wasn’t sure whether or not he could break Lawton.  On one hand, the reputation of the marksman’s livelihood depended on his client’s ability to trust him.  But on the other, it was clear from how Lawton had funneled his money to his family, that they were the one thing he cared about more than himself.

“I think I need answers.  And one way or another, I’m going to get them.”

“Carry on,” she said, and turned on her heel and walked away.

There had been plenty of things about working for ARGUS that Tommy had missed.  But the chilling chats with Waller hadn’t been one of them. Even when he could act like nothing in the world bothered him, somehow, she always had a way of sending a shiver up his spine.

He watched Lawton for several more minutes, calculating the best way to get the man to crack, if the way to him wasn’t through his family.  But Tommy still felt that it was, maybe he just needed to sweat it out a little longer.

The medical team filed out again, having changed the bandages on Lawton’s leg.  Blood still seeped through the bandages, and Tommy knew they couldn’t leave him in the interrogation room forever.

But before he could go back in, Tommy’s phone rang.  He glanced down at the screen and his heart leapt into his throat.

_ Quentin Lance _ was calling him.  And Tommy could only imagine that something had happened to Laurel.  He answered it immediately.

“Detective,” Tommy said quickly.  “Is everything…. Is Laurel…”

“She’s fine,” Quentin answered, his voice all business.  “I’m actually calling about something else.”

“Oh?”  Tommy glanced at his watch.  He wasn’t late for dinner, it was still way too early for that.  But apparently whatever Laurel’s father wanted to discuss with him, it wasn’t something he wanted shared around the dinner table.

The police detective cleared his throat on the other end.  “It’s just, we had that joint takedown of that Cooper Seldon kid and it got me thinkin’, if there was ever something that came across my radar that seemed like it was a little more up your alley…”

Tommy was trying to piece together all the things that Lance  _ wasn’t _ saying.  “What’ve you got, Detective?”

“There’s been a string of deaths out of the Glades the last week or so.  Couple weeks really. They all have this same anomaly in their blood. Something our labs couldn’t identify.  Didn’t know if you might have better luck.” Lance cleared his throat again. “Don’t know what your database system is like.  But I’m guessing it’s a little more capable than ours.”

“So you want to work this case together, or…”

“Not sure really,” Lance said with a huff of humorless laughter.  “I just know I’ve been on the force a long time, and the list of things the SCPD can’t handle is getting longer by the day.”

“The world is a strange place,” Tommy said, eyes still trained on the man that was paid to put a bullet in him.  “Can we talk about this tonight?”

“I’d rather we didn’t,” Lance said.  “The girls are curious enough about this case as it is.  Don’t want to give them more reason to pry.”

“I can come by the station,” Tommy offered.  “Give me an hour?”

“I’ll see you then, Merlyn.”

Tommy pocketed the phone and narrowed his eyes as he studied Lawton.  The man was clearly a masochist. Either that or his pain tolerance was exceedingly high.  But then he saw it, the slightest wince when Lawton moved his leg. So he did  _ feel _ pain.  And Tommy was confident that his wife and daughter were the best leverage he’d have to get Lawton to break.  Tommy just needed to figure out exactly which pressure point the press further, and he’d have him.

\---

“You ever get the feeling the cosmos are working in tandem against us?” Felicity asked as Oliver pulled into his mother’s driveway. “I mean every time it feels like we’re two steps ahead, we find out someone else is five.”

“Only every day of my life,” he said as his hand found hers, and tugged until he could kiss her knuckles. “But they also brought me you. So there must be some force out there on my side.”

“Sweet talking will only get you so far,” she teased, then reached into her bag and pulled out her mini tablet. “The search on your mom’s recent call history is done, and only one irregular number has shown up consistently over the last few days.”

“And we know it’s Slade’s?”

“We hope it’s Slade’s,” she corrected. “I’m working off logic and hunches here. But it seems the most likely. I have the tablet running a tracking program, and he’s currently parked in a cafe in midtown.”

“So you’ll stay here and keep an eye on my mother, while I go have a talk with Slade.”

“Just,” she paused a moment to make sure he was really listening to her. “Can you promise me you’re not gonna do something rash?”

“He’s threatening the people I care about.”

“I know, but you also care about this city and protecting it right?”

“You know I do.”

“Then it would stand to reason,” she replied running her fingers through his hair. “That if Oliver Queen gets caught in a violent altercation, people might start wondering why the vigilante showed up around the same time you came home. Which could be part of his plan.” 

“You’re right,” he took a deep breath as he said it. “I know you’re right. I just. I need to end this before Samantha and William move here. Because if Slade finds out about him, if he finds that weakness to exploit. I can’t--”

“That won’t happen. I won’t let it. None of us will.”

He nodded then took the tablet from her. “I should go catch up to him. See what he’s up to.”

“Call Sara and have her meet you.” He looked like he might protest but Felicity beat him to it. “It’s like a bandaid. Gotta do it sooner or later. Plus with Digg watching Thea, you need the backup. Promise me?”

“I promise,” he leaned in and kissed her softly. “Have fun with my mother.”

She knew Oliver wouldn’t drive off until she made it safe inside. So she kissed him again and headed towards the door. It only took a few seconds before the ornate wood door swung inward. 

Walter smiled at her as he spoke. “Felicity, I don’t believe Moira was expecting you and Oliver until much later. But I see Oliver isn’t coming inside?”

They watched as Oliver pulled the Porsche out of the driveway, and Felicity smiled.

“Oh, well, Oliver actually just dropped me off. He has some stuff to take care of for Verdant, and I had the afternoon free.” Walter showed her inside as they continued to talk. “So I thought with the press and guests coming tonight maybe you guys wouldn’t mind if I tested out some new security tech.”

“Something tells me if you’re ready to test it, it’s already far passed exceptional.”

“You give me far too much praise Walter.”

“Nonsense,” he smiled. “I recognize talent. And my one regret is that we never were able to steal you back from Merlyn Global. But I suppose it will just be fun to watch whatever you come up with next. Feel free to set up anywhere.”

“Thank you.” 

She didn’t know how she would shake him as she set up the devices. Considering the early stages of their development, she didn’t exactly want to explain all the details yet. But luckily it looked like Walter was in a rush.

“Moira’s upstairs getting poised and ready for this evening,” he said as he reached for a set of keys. “But I must attend a meeting. If you need anything Raisa is in the kitchen. I will be back shortly.”

“I’ll be fine. See you later.”

She waited until he left before she got to work. She placed the first device between the frame of a beautiful piece of art and the wall. It was close enough to the door that she knew it would catch every person who entered via the foyer. And with the algorithm she’d been working on for the last few months, it would capture the DNA signature of every person who stepped through that door. With that, she’d be able to track them through the city. Granted a million things could go wrong. More than one person could enter at a time, DNA signatures could cross, something could break or dislodge wire wise. Which is why she had her backup plan. 

She had the trusty mobile version fashioned to the watch Oliver would wear as he shook hands with everyone who came to offer the family support. But even that could only do so much without actually collecting DNA samples from people. And it’s not like you can walk up to a room full of people and say ‘Hi my boyfriend’s mom is running for mayor. Mind if I swab your cheek?’ She had a feeling it wouldn’t go over well.

Felicity took to placing a few more devices around the first floor, in the spots that would generate the most foot traffic. She had just put the finishing touches on her last one, when she pulled out her phone.

She hit in Diggle’s speed dial, and waited until he answered. 

“Something wrong?” he asked.

She wouldn’t tell him she was nervous. That the idea of another threat looming over them was sending her head spinning right back to Russia, back to the Markov device too. 

“No,” she said trying to keep the smile in her voice. “I was just checking in. How are Thea and Roy?”

“Honestly? They seem to be naturals at this.”

“Don’t let Oliver hear you say his sister and her boyfriend are natural liars,” she mused. “Find out anything useful?”

“Not yet,” he replied. “Blood’s here, shaking hands and making statements. Says he plans to turn the Glades into something amazing. If he wasn’t so dead set on bashing Tommy, I might vote for the guy.” 

“He seems like a slimeball to me,” she muttered.

“A slimeball who’s getting a lot of traction in the Glades and from a few others the way I hear it.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, there are people in this city who are always gonna hold the Merlyn name responsible for what happened downtown. It’s not right to blame Tommy for his father’s mistakes. But sometimes people don’t care about what’s right. They only care about what sounds right.”

“Thanks Digg,” she said as Moira descended the stairs. “Keep me posted on any developments. And keep an eye on those two.”

“Will do, because babysitting is in my job description.”

“Well snark definitely isn’t,” she retorted. “Talk to you later.”

“Bye.”

The Queen matriarch came into the living room, and smiled as her eyes landed on Felicity. “Felicity, I wasn’t aware you were here already.”

“I came by early to test some security things and to see how you’re doing,” Felicity stood up from her crouch and smoothed down her skirt. “Any pre-announcement jitters?”

“You must think this is rash,” she replied with a heavy sigh. “I mean Thea certainly made sure to tell me she thinks I’m rushing into this.”

“If it’s really what you want, then no I don’t. But I can understand her apprehension,” she let Moira guide them over to the sofa. “I mean do you trust this Slade Wilson? Considering he was working with Sebastian Blood.”

“The first rule of politics is never trust anyone,” Moira met her gaze as they sat. “Do I think he has an ulterior motive? Most people do. But when he approached me with the idea, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of rightness in it.”

“How so?”

“I love this city,” she replied with a soft smile. “And when Malcolm damaged it so greatly, I wanted to help. Walter and I have been donating and volunteering for the last few months. But money and time can only go so far. But enacting real change, that’s what Starling needs. It’s how I plan to leave my mark.”

Felicity saw that spark in her. The same one that had drawn her to Oliver and was blooming inside Thea. She couldn’t help but smile. The Queen family wanting to save the city in such vastly different ways, but with the same heart, might be exactly what they all needed.

“It sounds foolish when I say it out loud.”

“It really doesn’t,” she assured Moira. “It sounds like what this city needs.”

She reached over and squeezed Felicity’s hand. “Well you know what I need.”

“Coffee?”

“Someone to help me pick which suit to wear, since my husband and children are busy.”

“Ooh fashion, I’m good at that too.”

“I don’t doubt that at all,” she said with a tone of pride. 

Felicity used to be intimidated by Moira Queen. She used to think the powerhouse matriarch would take one look at her and step right over. But the more she got to know Moira, the more her layers stripped back, the more she admired the woman. And it was nice to know she was admired too.

“Let’s get you in something mayoral and fantastic,” she said as she took Moira’s hand. Moira followed her lead and they headed upstairs. 

Felicity didn’t know if her devices would work the way she wanted them to, and she had no clue what would happen when Oliver got back from meeting Slade. But she wouldn’t let anything affect Moira’s attitude about this campaign. She could see that Mrs. Queen wanted something good to come out of this, and Felicity would use everything in her power to make sure that happened.

\---

Oliver texted Sara before he pulled out of the driveway of his childhood home, asking her to meet him at the Foundry.  He hadn’t brought up the man in the mask to Sara since their talk after the first night he’d shown up. And that had been a couple of weeks ago.  Even then, Sara had warned him that things on that island didn’t always stay dead.

Oh, how he wished she’d been wrong about that.

She was practicing with her bo staff when he came in, hitting several targets in rapid succession as she moved around the training space.  She spun to face him, the staff swinging in her hand. She stopped, the staff less than an inch from his neck as her focus pulled back to him, back to the present, and out of whatever past demon she’d been fighting against.

Sara cleared her throat, wiping a hand across her brow.  She didn’t apologize, that wasn’t the way with them. Oliver and Sara always had a communication that went beyond words.  An understanding that transcended the need for them. So much shared agony could do that to people, he supposed.

Instead, her lips pursed in her signature half pout / half scowl and Sara turned away from him, dropping the bow staff and letting it clatter to the floor.  She retrieved a bottle of water and took a long swallow, turning back to face him.

“It’s Slade,” she said, matter-of-factly, meeting his eyes.  There was no doubt, no questioning.

Oliver nodded, acknowledging the truth.  “How did you know?”

“Felicity left the search up on the computer.”  She blew out a breath. “What’s the plan?”

“That’s what I want to find out.  His plan I mean. He’s been intercepting people that I love for weeks, apparently, without me knowing it.”

Sara frowned.  “That’s unusual.”

“He ran into Felicity a couple weeks ago, the day before the masked man showed up.  But I never told her his name. She had so much going on with the hacker. And Tommy coming back.”  Oliver groaned. “Then he ran into Tommy and Laurel when they were getting their dog.”

She bristled.  “He’s seen Laurel?”

“He was running Sebastian Blood’s mayoral campaign.  And now he’s convinced my mother to run against Blood.  I don’t know what he’s up to, but I intend to find out.”

“Why would he come here?  Why now? And how is he not dead?”

It was Oliver’s turn to heave a sigh, and he scrubbed a hand down his face.  “The Mirakuru I imagine. It must have kept him alive, even after…” he trailed off, fighting the shudder that threatened to rack his body.  The image still haunted him late at night. The arrow he’d driven right through his old ally’s eye. He’d watched the life drain from the man before the freighter went down.

Oliver cleared his throat.  “Felicity found the number he contacted my mother from.  She said the phone’s been parked at a cafe downtown. I want to have a chat with Slade and find out exactly what the hell he thinks he’s doing.”

“Let me change and I’ll come with you.”

Shado’s face flashed in his mind.  Slade had been so grief stricken those last days without her.  So twisted by the Mirakuru. It seemed so different than the clear calculations of the man who had come to Starling now.  What  _ was _ Slade doing here, anyway?

Oliver nodded, even though he wasn’t sure it was the best idea.  Both Oliver and Sara in the same place with Slade? Talk about painful reminders of the past.  They were the epitome of why Slade had lost Shado. It would forever be the most impossible decision Oliver would have to make.

He pushed the thoughts from his mind as he waited in the car.  This wasn’t about Shado, not anymore. It was about his family, his loved ones.  About Felicity and Thea, his mother, Tommy, William, Samantha, Sara and Laurel. It was about the city he was working his damndest to save every single night he went out in that hood.  And he wasn’t going to let Slade get in the way of that.

The dot of the cell phone Felicity had pinpointed as Slade’s hadn’t moved from the cafe.  Oliver’s eyes studied it, daring it to make a move, to come after another person he loved.  Because Oliver would stop him if he did.

“Ready?” Sara asked, pulling his focus.

Oliver blinked, she was seated in the car beside him, buckled in and looking at him expectantly.

“Yeah.”  He cleared his throat and started the engine before pulling out of the garage and into the alley.  They were silent the entire car ride to the cafe. They didn’t discuss what they were going to do, if Sara would stay outside or accompany him in.  His mind was too wrapped up in protection mode to do any strategizing.

He pulled into a parking spot, beside a sleek Mercedes in  _ Midnight Manhattan _ .  The car he and Tommy had tracked as far as the custom paint job in Pennytown.  It had been Slade all along. They’d been close to tracking him down for weeks, just for Slade to slip through the cracks once again.

Oliver cut the engine and took a steadying breath.  They were just going to talk to him. No altercations, he’d promised Felicity.

The cafe was crowded, but Oliver’s eyes found Slade immediately.  He was seated at a table near the corner, three other people crowded around him.  Even seated, Slade towered over the others with him. But their attention was fixed on him as he spoke.  And it was only a mere second later that Slade knew Oliver was there. A spark hit his eye, and he turned and met Oliver’s gaze immediately.

Tension knotted in Oliver’s gut, making him feel like a lion ready to pounce, ready to spring into action, ready for a fight.

But Slade smiled.  Warmly.

“Did he just…” Sara breathed, almost silently.

The man’s attention went back to the college-aged looking guys seated around him.  Leaving Oliver more confused than ever.

“Yeah,” Oliver said quickly.  “He smiled like there was no bad blood between us.  Like he’s not down an eye because I stabbed an arrow through it.”

“Welcome to The Busy Bean,” a bored sounding barista said from behind the counter.  “Can I interest you in a hot or iced Matcha Mocha? It’s our drink of the month.”

Oliver cleared his throat.  “Uh, no thanks. We’re meeting someone.”

“Whatever,” the barista said, rolling her eyes and walking away.

“Charming,” Sara cooed.

The meeting that Slade was holding at his table seemed to be drawing to an end, as all three of the guys stood and shoved notebooks into bookbags.  They were all wearing different iterations of SCU shirts. Starling City University students. Had they already signed on to his mother’s campaign?

The guys filed out passed Oliver and Sara, talking animatedly about working for Moira Queen.  Yes, apparently they had already signed on. But Oliver didn’t have time to think about that. Not when Slade Wilson was standing from the table, a friendly smile playing on his face, as he approached Sara and Oliver.

“Oliver Queen,” Slade said.  “And Miss Lance, what a surprise.”

Friendly.  That was how Slade wanted to play this?  He was really intending on acting like nothing had happened at all?  Oliver took the man’s extended hand and shook it.

“Slade Wilson,” he said, keeping his voice as neutral as possible.  “You are the last person I ever expected to find in Starling City.”

Slade shrugged.  “Spent some time traveling the world.  I hear you know a bit about that. But in my travels I decided to look up some old friends.  Make amends where amends were needed. They say it’s better to build bridges than fences.”

Rage hummed through Oliver’s veins, but he tamped it down.  He needed to figure out what Slade was doing in Starling, how connected he was to Blood and Deadshot.  Blood had just put a hit out on his best friend for god’s sake. How could Slade not be involved in that?

Slade finally released Oliver’s hand and he could feel the strength the man was holding back, pretending like he was normal, like the Mirakuru hadn’t turned him into a monster all those years ago.

“How did you…” Sara began.

_ Survive? _ Oliver’s mind supplied.

“Get off the island?” Slade laughed, his voice booming over the din of the coffee shop around them. “I wish I knew.  I woke up in Indonesia and they’d told me a fishing vessel had found me in the water. Don’t remember a damned thing after being injected with that vile shite.”

Oliver frowned.  Was it possible? Slade didn’t  _ remember _ ?

“Some of it comes back in flashes.  Ivo. The freighter. I remember a fight, but it’s all jumbled.”  Slade sighed. “It’s good to see you, kid.”

Something shifted in Oliver’s brain.  Not completely, because he was still suspicious - he’d be crazy not to be - but his mind attempted to back off from the offensive.

“I was surprised you didn’t look me up right away,” Oliver said, forcing the coil in his stomach to relax.  “You’ve been in the city a few weeks now, haven’t you?”

“Getting settled takes time, kid,” Slade shrugged.  “Plus I wanted to make sure you were good. Sometimes people say they are, but you get the truth more from the people they love.”

Oliver nodded, warning bells blaring in his mind again.  “Tommy mentioned he and Laurel met you.”

“Curious thing, that,” Slade said with a knowing look.  “Your best friend and the girl you spent so long trying to survive for.”

Beside him, Sara stiffened.

“Then again, I hear you’ve got a new lady of your own.  A Miss Smoak, isn’t it?”

Now it was Oliver’s turn to go rigid.  Felicity’s name on Slade’s lips opened the floodgates of protectiveness inside him.  But he forced himself to stay calm. Slade was dangerous, whether or not he had his memory, he was stronger than anyone.  And Oliver’s memory was still more than intact. He remembered the strength his former friend weileded with his bare hands.  Slade was a force of nature, and nothing good would come from angering him.

Oliver cleared his throat and nodded.  “Felicity,” he supplied. “You’ll meet her at my mother’s campaign announcement tonight.  In fact, I came by to see if there was anything Sara and I could do to help out.”

“Felicity Smoak,” Slade repeated with a slow drawl.  “Yes, that was it. I’ve actually already had the pleasure of making her acquaintance.”

If Slade had no memory, then why did that simple sentence sound like so much of a threat?  Was Oliver’s mind just hearing what it wanted? Was it making things seem worse than they really were?  He glanced over- no, Sara’s stance was firm too. Not threatening, not poised to strike, but he could see the tension in the set of her shoulders.  She could feel it too. That  _ thing _ that was just off about Slade Wilson.  The same  _ thing _ that had been off since Slade learned the truth about Shado’s death.  There was no way the man standing before them had no memory.  

He’d just gotten better at hiding the monster beneath the surface.

Sara forced a smile.  “I know a great bakery.  The owner owes me a favor.  I’m sure they’d whip up a few dozen cupcakes for tonight.”  She paused, thinking. “Queen for Mayor? Has a nice ring to it.”

Oliver wanted to push.  He wanted to know what Slade had been doing outside Blood’s rally that night, with his mask on and a sword in his hand.  He wanted to force the man to explain his connection to Deadshot, to Sebastian. But not with so many innocent people around.  Not when Oliver knew what Slade Wilson could do with just his hands and a will made of iron.

“Queen for Mayor,” Oliver said with a huff.  “Never thought I’d hear those words.”

“Your mother would be a spectacular force for this city,” Slade said with another easy smile.  “She’s such a breath of fresh air, despite the incredible hardships she’s faced. A jewel of a woman, truly.”

“She is.”

Slade clamped a hand over Oliver’s shoulder and routed them to the door.  “She’s the first person I thought of to go up against Sebastian. You know, I hate to abandon someone like that, but when I saw the filth he was throwing to the media about your friend, Tommy.” He tsked.  “Well, I knew there was no way I could stand beside a man like that.”

Slade’s grip on his shoulder tightened to a vise, a full display of the man’s strength.  “Men like that, I told your mum,” he continued, bruising Oliver with the force of his grip as they moved outside to the parking lot.  “Men like that, you stand against.”

And then he released Oliver, giving him a little shove toward the car.  And Oliver knew -- in his bones -- that whatever Slade was there for, it wasn’t anything good.  He just wasn’t sure how he was going to prove it to anyone else.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Reader,  
> We are ready for this great chapter. Few quick things first. We know this week is hard for the fandom, because tomorrow is a sad day. And we don't want to make it sadder, but we are taking a hiatus after this post. Cassie and I have some personal things going on during February. So we're taking a ashort break. See you all again soon.
> 
> Love,  
> Kayla

Tommy skirted through the police station as easily as he could, trying hard not to make direct eye contact with anyone. Half these uniforms had arrested him at one time or another in his youth, and the other half were no strangers to the morning news that blasted his name on repeat. He didn’t need to make waves. He just needed to talk to Quentin.

He found the detective at his desk, pouring over something. 

“You made quick time getting over here,” he gruffed pulling the files in front of him into a pile.

“What can I say, curiosity got the better of me,” Tommy said as a couple beat cops passed by them. “Plus I figured you’d hate me less if I didn’t waste time.”

“It has more to do with the dating my daughter, than time wasting.” 

When Tommy tried to let out a nervous laugh he could feel the eyes of everyone in the room started to swivel towards them, and he had to admit that he wasn’t a fan. 

“Let’s go somewhere a little less out in the open.” Quentin nodded towards the interrogation room and Tommy followed. 

He waited until the detective shut the door behind them before he spoke. “So you got a pattern?”

Quentin spread the files out along the table, opening them one by one. “So far it looks like a string of ODs, mostly homeless or low income Glades residents.”

“And the anomaly?”

“The medical examiner says it’s some residue left behind by a new street drug.”

“But you don’t buy that?”

Tommy watched as Quentin pulled one file in particular closer to them. “This is our latest vic. Samuel Marshall. He spent six years in Vietnam.”

He took the file from the table, and poured over the information Quentin has compiled. Marshall was indeed homeless according to this, and he wasn’t currently employed. But the guy had no priors, no history of drug use. According to the autopsy his liver was clean, so no alcohol addiction. 

“This guy is a vet, what the hell was he doing living on the streets?”

“About a year ago,” Lance stated, flipping the page in front of Tommy. “Marshall had a fairly steady job, his home and car were all paid off. And then his granddaughter Lily got accepted into a competitive private school in Coast City. It was pricey, so Marshall sold his house and all his belongings to pay for the first three years of tuition. After that the family says they were gonna look into Lily getting on a scholarship list to finish her education.”

“So caring, doting grandfather and war vet suddenly dies of an overdose, and no one but you thinks this is suspicious?” 

“Brass thinks it’s a tragic story of a guy who fell on hard times.”

Tommy eyed him. “But that doesn’t sit with you?”

“Does it sit with you?” he countered. “There’s one more thing. I called the kid’s school… according to them her tuition has been paid through graduation.”

That struck Tommy as odd. Weirder than the anomaly he was staring at from about four different ODs. “He got some cash before his death? Paid it off before this all went down?”

“Yeah that’s the thing though,” Quentin cleared his throat. “Her tuition payment went through 12 hours after the ME’s estimated time of death. In my line of work dead men don’t generally send wire transfers.”

“You’re right,” Tommy groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “None of this adds up.”

“I want to get to the bottom of this Merlyn.” He took the file from Tommy and stacked it back on the table. “Maybe I’m being paranoid. But I think someone found out this guy wasn’t just a homeless bum and tried to cover their asses by paying that tuition.”

“It would have had to leave a digital trail. If it did I have someone who can track it.”

“Miss Smoak?”

“I was thinking a little more in house,” he replied. “If my bosses get wind of me going outside of ARGUS anymore than I have to, someone’s gonna have to answer for it. But I have the perfect person for this. We’ll figure out who’s doing this to these people.”

“Good,” Quentin said as he handed him one seperate file. “Because Marshall is just the guy who we got a name on. The rest of them, they don’t have families looking out for them. No one to care when they went missing. Someone has to want justice for their deaths.”

He took the folder Quentin had given him and tucked it under his coat. He knew exactly where the detective was coming from. Giving a voice to the voiceless. Seeking justice for those who couldn’t do it themselves. It’s that exact quality that bound the Lance family together. And he wouldn’t stop until he got to the bottom of this.

“I’ll get on this right away,” he said giving Quentin a nod. “In fact I have to head back to finish an interrogation. So I’ll get the lab on that sample as soon as I can.”

The older Lance watched him closely as he shook his head. “Not in a million years would I have thought those words would come from your mouth. Maybe someday you’ll tell me how you fell into that.”

“Maybe it’s better if I don’t,” he replied as the memories that led him there threatened to flood his mind. “Lot of history went into that decision. And not all of it’s mine.”

Quentin nodded like he understood. “I’ll let you head out. Get back to what you were working on before I called.”

He moved to exit, but something brought the words to the surface before Tommy could stop himself. “Say you had someone in custody. Someone who could give you the information you need on someone else. This first guy is dangerous, several murders under his belt, but the person he could help you put away is potentially worse. How would you get him to talk?”

Quentin paused for a moment, and Tommy could see him weighing the question in his mind. “It’s a tough one. What kind of crimes?”

“Gun for hire,” he replied with a groan of laughter. “And the worst part is. He’s been in the city before. And we didn’t catch him then. And part of me is afraid that the only way I get him to talk is to let him go again.”

“There’s always another way,” Quentin said. “Guy got family?”

“Yeah but it didn’t exactly work the first time I brought them up.”

“Maybe it did,” he shrugged. “If the guy has ties to his family at all, it’s worth another try. Sometimes family is all anyone really has.”

The words hit against something in his mind. And Tommy thought maybe he did have another way to try and get Lawton to talk.

“Thanks Quentin.”

He didn’t say more as he left the precinct for his car. He ignored the looks of the other officers and headed straight to ARGUS.  _ Sometimes family is all anyone really has.  _ The words looped over and over again. 

Lawton spent years making sure his wife and daughter were taken care of financially. But he took pride in his work. That dichotomy between the two halves had to mean something. He was banking on it.

When he got back into the building he stopped by Lexi first. He had to leave the file that Quentin gave him with her. 

“Their lab is really backed up, and I told him I’d take a look.”

“Why don’t I fully believe you?”

“Can you just have the guys downstairs run the sample?” he asked. “For me?”

“I’ll call you when the results are in.”

“Thanks Lexi,” he winked. “Where’s Lawton?”

“Back in interrogation… with the director.”

He wasn’t surprised that Waller would want a crack at Lawton, just annoyed she didn’t wait until he came back.

“Thanks,” he said then turned back. “Oh there’s also a financial transaction in there. Could you try and back trace it for me?”

“You know I’m more of a gadgets and gizmos gal?”

“I said try didn’t I?”

“Fine. I’ll try.”

“You’re the best.” 

He moved through the bullpen, trying to find Lyla before he headed to interrogation, but as he made his way towards that hall he hadn’t found her yet. He would just have to talk to her after he spoke with Lawton again.

When he came into the interrogation room, Lawton and Waller were locked in a death glare. And he honestly wasn’t sure he wanted to know what had prompted it.

“Agent Merlyn,” she said without breaking her stare. “You’re back.”

“Yeah, thought of a few more questions for our friend,” he said as he took the open seat next to Waller.

Lawton let his eyes slide from the director to Tommy. “We ain’t friends. You’re a job, that I plan on finishing as soon as I get out of here.”

“See I don’t think you will,” Tommy said, clearing his throat. “I know why you don’t want to talk.”

“You don’t know shit.”

“Humor me,” he pulled his phone from his pocket and pulled up the link he had found on the way up. It was an old photo of Lawton with his wife and newborn daughter. He held it out for Lawton to look at. “You’re afraid that if you talk to us, Blood’s gonna go after your wife and kid. That this perfectly crafted wall you’ve built between what you do and who you love, is gonna crash down and affect those you care about.”

“You don’t know me.”

“I’m prepared to make you a deal,” he said, glancing once at Waller before he continued. “ _ We’re _ prepared to make you a deal.”

“And what could you possibly have that would interest me?”

“New identities for your wife and daughter,” Tommy said matter of factly. “You tell us what we need to know, and none of your enemies can ever use your little girl against you ever again.”

“What makes you think I’d trust ARGUS?” Lawton scoffed. “I’m not a fool. I know you’ve been after me for years, trying to track and recruit me? Why would I ever agree to something like that?”

“You have a choice Lawton,” Tommy pressed, taking his phone back. “Either we can be on the same side or we can be enemies. And you don’t want the latter, trust me.”

“It’s best for your family if you agree to Agent Merlyn’s terms,” Waller spoke with ice in her words. “Otherwise when this Blood character realizes you’re MIA, there won’t be anyone there to keep him from going after your wife and daughter.”

Lawton grew quiet, his head hanging low. Tommy thought maybe they had pressed him too far, mentioned his kid one too many times. 

But as his gaze snapped up Tommy could see the resolve fall from his shoulders. “What do you want to know?”

It wasn’t a guarantee he’d cooperate but Tommy took the chance and pressed on. “We know Sebastian Blood hired you for a hit. We know he didn’t give you the assignment until you were already in Starling. We also know he had you go after his own function.”

“Seems to me like you already know a hell of a lot.”

“What we don’t know, is how he got in contact with you in the first place,” Tommy continued. “So tell me Mr. Lawton, how did Alderman Blood bring you in on this job?”

“He didn’t,” Deadshot replied with a smirk. 

“You want to play this like a jackass?” Waller glared. “Then I hope your prepared to never hear word of your family ever again.”

“I’m not messing with you alright? Sebastian Blood didn’t bring me to Starling,” he said looking between the two of them. “I didn’t start talking to him directly until I was already in town.”

Tommy didn’t even blink as he asked. “If he didn’t hire you who did?”

“In my line of work we don’t generally exchange personal information, as a professional courtesy,” he replied. “But I know he goes by the name Deathstroke. And I know he likes swords.”

The image of that guy from a few weeks back came to mind, and Tommy knew before he even asked his next question. But still he had to hear it out loud. 

“This Deathstroke, he doesn’t happen to wear a black and orange mask, does he?”

“Ding, ding, you’re good at this game.”

Slade Wilson, Oliver’s former friend, Blood’s previous campaign manager, was also the guy who brought Deadshot back to Starling. Again he wasn’t surprised, but maybe the universe could give him a little bit of a break.

“Thank you for your time Mr. Lawton,” Waller said as she rose from her chair. “I’ll oversee your family’s paperwork myself.”

Tommy shot her a look of confusion, but Waller just left without another word. He would have to ask about that later. For now, he had one more thing he needed from Lawton. 

“Figured you’d be running off too.”

“One more question,” he said as leaned back in his chair. “It won’t take long.”

“Oh and what could you possibly want now?”

Tommy let out a bitter laugh before he said. “I want you to tell me who hired you to kill Andrew Diggle.”

\---

Felicity sat on the edge of Moira’s bed and glanced around the room.  It was one of the only rooms in the Queen mansion that she’d never been in before.  Not that she hadn’t been curious, of course with her naturally quizzical mind, she couldn’t be anything but.  However, she’d never exactly had a reason to go in before.  The door to the master bedroom was usually closed, and even when it had been ajar, Felicity was too worried about being discovered to peek inside.

Moira had disappeared into the dressing room / walk-in closet (because  _ of course _ Moira Queen had a separate dressing room), and had left Felicity alone in the bedroom.  Sometimes she forgot just how wealthy their family was, because none of them ever really flaunted their wealth.  It was true that Moira always had an air about her that felt more formal and proper than other people, but it wasn’t like she was throwing her money around at everything.  But this room screamed opulence, from the gold and crystal chandelier hanging above the bed to the definitely not a reproduction Monet on the far wall.

Felicity fiddled with her tablet while Moira changed into another possible outfit for the announcement later that evening.  All of the cameras she’d installed appeared to be working, but Felicity couldn’t help but wonder what Oliver was doing in that moment.  Had he found Slade?  What had that meeting resulted in?

It was better, she knew, that Oliver talk to him before the house was filled with guests-- both friends and media alike.  So much of the five years that Oliver was away were still a secret, and having someone in Starling that not only knew some of what happened during that time, but had also figured out who the vigilante in town was… well it could end badly for a lot of people.

“How about this one?” Moira said, emerging from the dressing room.  She had on a grey pencil skirt and blue blouse and was shrugging into a matching grey tailored jacket.

“I like it,” Felicity said with a nod.  “It says ‘I’ll fight for this city.’.”

Moira smiled.  “Makes me sound like the vigilante then?” she asked, and there was a glint in her eye that put Felicity on edge.

“The… what?” she asked, swallowing hard.  “No, I just meant for the whole city.  Not just the Glades or Pennytown or Starling.  But everyone.”  She took a breath, forcing herself to stay calm.  It was possible - likely even -  that Moira didn’t mean anything by it.  The vigilante had been making headlines for months, it was the greatest mystery in the city in decades.

“Uniting the city,” Moira said.  “Easier said than done.”

“Tell me about it.”

Moira gave her a look.  “We don’t get a chance to talk much, you and I.”  She stepped closer, surveying Felicity.  “Sometimes I feel like my  _ son _ is sheltering you from me.”

Felicity smiled, a little abashed.  “It’s not like that.  He just… we’re both just busy with work.”

“I thought you left your job at Helix.”

“Right,” Felicity swallowed hard.  “I did.  But I’ve been working on this software.  It’s pretty intricate actually, and it’s been keeping me busy.  And with Oliver’s crazy schedule at the club, sometimes it feels like if we don’t put ourselves in a bubble, we’d never get any alone time.”

“I see.”  Moira paused.

Felicity squirmed.   _ Alone time? _ She chided herself.   _ Did you really just say that to his  _ **_mother_ ** _?? _  She cleared her throat; she needed to change the subject, and fast.  “So, do we think that suit is the one?”

“I’m not sure.  Royal blue may make a stronger statement.  I think I have a different blouse I can try.”

“Okay.”

Moira disappeared again and Felicity pushed out a long breath.  Was it possible that those two years before Oliver had come home, it was  _ easier _ to talk to his mother, than it was now?  Even with that secret hanging so heavy on her every time?

“You know, Felicity,” Moira said, stepping back into the room.  “I’ve always known how special you were.  Intelligent, driven, dedicated.  But seeing you with Oliver,” she smiled.  “Well, it astonishes me how easily you two fell into step together after you met.  It was like…”

“Like we’d known each other for so much longer.”

“Yes.”

“It definitely feels like that sometimes,” Felicity said wistfully.  Oh, how she had wanted to tell Thea and Moira the truth.  She and Tommy had come close so many times.  But they had made a promise to Oliver, and she would never let anything get in the way of that.

“Then again, you seem to have that way with everyone you meet,” Moira said, smiling softly.  “I remember when you and Tommy first met.  And then when Thea and I met you in Russia.  It was like you’d always been there.”

Felicity returned the smile.  “Thank you,” she said, her voice quiet.

“You know, I always wondered what made you move from Queen Consolidated to Malcolm’s company.”

So much of that time before her global search for Oliver was a blur.  But not that.  She still remembered the night she met Tommy like it was yesterday.  She’d been in Moira’s office, in fact.  Sorting paperwork on a Friday night, because her manager didn’t care how talented she was.  He had been the worst manager in the world, and her talents were being wasted at QC.  But how could she tell that to the CEO of the company?

“Better advancement opportunity,” she croaked, and averted her eyes.  “I’d heard Malcolm was working on some experimental projects and they caught my eye.  It wasn’t until much, much later that I realized exactly what those projects were for.”  Snapshots flooded her mind again of the images taken in downtown Starling after the Markov device leveled a city block.  And the guilt over it slashed at her heart afresh.

“Malcolm fooled a lot of people, Felicity.  Myself and Robert included.” Moira said, sitting down beside her on the edge of the bed and placing a tentative hand on Felicity’s knee.  “Malcolm approached a group of us many years ago.  Oh, it must have been just after Rebecca had been killed.  Said he wanted to better the city, clean up the Glades.  Of course none of us knew then how far he was willing to go.  Or how twisted his grief had become.”

“Doesn’t make the guilt any easier to bear.”

“Perhaps not.  But it also doesn’t mean you need to shoulder it alone.”

“But I’m the only one left.”  Her voice broke on the last word, but she forced herself to remain composed.  Moira Queen didn’t seem like the type to appreciate blubbering on her crisp white bedding.  Even if she knew, in her head that Malcolm’s decisions were his alone, that the destruction was wrought at his hand, it still didn’t mean that her heart hurt any less for the lives lost.  It still affected her.  And it would for some time to come.

Felicity’s tablet pinged and the spell of the moment was broken.  Someone was at the front door.

“Hello?” Thea’s voice called a moment later.  “Anyone home?”

“We’re up here,” Moira said, giving Felicity’s knee another quick pat before moving for her bedroom door.  “Felicity is helping me pick an outfit for the announcement later.”

Footsteps sounded on the stairs and a moment later Thea’s head popped into the room.  “I almost expected that to be a joke,” she said with a grin.  “Did I know you were coming over so early?”

“I don’t think so,” Felicity said, shaking her head.  “Oliver dropped me off to set up some new tech I’m developing.  And when I finished with that, your mother asked if I’d help her decide on an outfit.”

“New tech you’re developing?” Thea asked, a spark igniting in her eyes. 

Tommy had given Felicity the same kind of look earlier that morning, and had mentioned that it was because of something Thea had said.  What exactly where those two plotting?

“Is Diggle still with you?” Felicity asked, changing the subject.  Mostly because she wanted to know how things had gone at the blood drive- if she had Roy had found out anything.  And also because now that her brain was out of fashion mode and back into work mode, she was itching to reach out to Oliver and find out how things had gone with Slade.

“He’s downstairs,” Thea said, sitting down at the small vanity table near the closet’s entrance.  She met Felicity’s eyes through the mirror as she picked up a fluffy brush and ran it down the length of her nose.

“Thea, what do you think of the royal blue?” Moira said, gesturing to her outfit.

“I think it doesn’t make this situation where you’re running for mayor any less weird,” Thea quipped.  “But it looks political, which is what I’m guessing you’re going for.”

“It is.”  Moira leaned over and placed a quick kiss on Thea’s head.  “And perhaps next time you can leave the snark out of your answer.”

“I’ll try,” Thea said glibly.

“Sounds like we’ve got an outfit picked,” Felicity said brightly, standing from the bed and grabbing her tablet.  “Do you mind if I make my way downstairs and say hi to John?”

“Of course not,” Moira said with a smile.  “You know you’re free to make yourself at home here.”

“Thanks, Moira.”

She kept her pace steady as she moved down the stairs and she could already see Digg standing near the front doors.  He glanced up and nodded a greeting as she descended.

“How are you doing?” she asked quietly.

“Keeping my mind off it helps,” he sighed.  “But I’ve pulled my phone out more than once to call Lyla and ask for just five minutes alone with him in an interrogation room.”

Felicity’s heart squeezed her chest thinking about the restraint John had shown to the man who killed his brother.  She couldn’t imagine how difficult it must have been.  “Did you find out anything at the blood drive?”

Digg shook his head.  “No.  Every outward appearance would prove that he’s a good guy.  Squeaky clean.”

“The worst people try the hardest to look clean.  I’ve seen that firsthand with Malcolm.”

Her phone rang before John could reply.  She retrieved it and answered immediately, seeing Oliver’s name on the screen.

“Hey,” she said, keeping her voice low.  “Did you find Slade?”

\---

“So he just acted like everything was normal?”

Oliver readjusted his tie for the third time as he turned to face Felicity and Digg. 

The three of them were held up in his room, going over everything that had gone down. He wished Thea and John had found something at the blood drive, but he wasn’t surprised they came back empty handed. Sebastian had been running unopposed until his mother announced her bid for mayor. There was no reason to do dirty dealings out in the open, not when half the city hated his stance on the elite. He just wished he they had more to go on than the crumbs they had collected. Especially where Slade was concerned.

“He said he doesn’t remember anything after we gave him the mirakuru on Lian Yu,” Oliver said as he pulled the tie from his neck and tossed it across the room. It felt too much like a noose for him to try again. 

John looked up as he cleared his throat. “You believe him?” 

“Not a chance,” he replied. “But it’s not like I could punch the guy out for giving off a bad vibe. We have to figure out what he’s planning.”

“That’s what the system is set up for,” Felicity finally said as she pulled her gaze from her tablet. “I just finished running a simulated test, and if all goes according to plan. We should be able to track Slade wherever he goes from here. All from his DNA.”

“That sounds creepy,” Digg quipped.

“But useful,” she countered with a smile. “Well semi useful. It only covers Starling, and if he happens to go five miles outside of the city limits, then I have to start basically from square one.”

“It’s a start though,” Oliver leaned in to kiss the side of her head. “Thank you. I know it’s not how you wanted to test this out.”

“Hey who doesn’t love a good live beta test?” she smiled as she stood. “I am surprised though. After the Slade reveal I figured Sara would insist on coming with you tonight.”

“She has that dinner with her family tonight, so I told her to go home. Besides we have to keep going like everything is normal.” He let Felicity slide her hands to his collar and fix the buttons. “If we act like something’s wrong he’s going to react to that.”

“Why do this whole show?” John questioned as he shrugged. “I mean he wants to get to you. Unresolved, deep seeded issues I get. So why not just go after you?”

“He wants revenge. And even if he says he can’t remember what happened. I know that he wants to make me pay for what happened to Shado,” he said. “He’s got a plan. And we need to stop it before he can finish whatever it is.”

“We will,” Felicity took hold of his arm and he couldn’t help but relax a little at the touch. “We’ll be on our guard tonight. Keep our eyes open for anything suspicious. Right?”

Digg nodded as he stood. “I’m gonna go do a sweep, then check in with your mom’s security team.”

“Thanks Digg.”

He waited until John left before he turned back to Felicity. “Maybe you should--”

“If you end that sentence with ‘go home’, I will hit you.”

“Felicity, hear me out. What if this is his plan? What if he tries  _ something  _ tonight?”

“We both know he didn’t orchestrate this whole thing to have it over so soon,” she said. “Besides, I have to be here in case something goes wrong with the tech. You know I can’t leave it unattended.”

He groaned, because yes he knew Felicity wouldn’t sit this one out. He knew it before the words even tried to leave his lips. But he couldn’t stop himself from trying. He wanted her to be safe and far from Slade Wilson.

“Will you consider being at least 20 feet from Slade at all times?” he offered. 

She rolled her eyes. “I won’t go out of my way to follow him if that’s what you mean, but I also think it might look a little suspect if I dash away every time we reach for the same canape tray.”

“I’m serious Felicity. He’s dangerous. And I don’t care what kind of crap he is feeding my mother about this campaign. It’s only gonna end badly if we don’t stop him soon.”

“It’s not all crap,” she muttered, then cleared her throat.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I know he’s the bad guy. But it’s not crap to your mom. She really wants to change this city for the better. Somehow in such a short time, Slade made her really believe she could do that. She wants to save this city. Just like you and just like Thea.”

“My mother isn’t some vigilante.”

“No,” she shook her head. “She’s not. But she has the same heart you do. And I think we need to tread carefully with this stuff. Because taking down Slade and Blood, might stop her from being able to do the one thing she wants to do.”

He opened his mouth to reply when his door flew open and Tommy came rushing in.

“Both of you need to be better about checking your phones,” he said as he pushed the door closed behind him. 

Oliver rolled his eyes. “Don’t you have a dinner you’re supposed to be at?” 

“Yeah, see I would be on my way to my girlfriend’s father’s place, the man who actually came to me for help on a case. I mean those are inroads my friend. But no, neither of you picked up your damn phones,” he groaned. “And then trying to call this place when your mother is throwing a party? I think I could have gotten the president on the phone faster.”

“Tommy,” Oliver cut him off. “What did you need?”

He took a step closer to them, before he spoke. “I got in to talk with Lawton today.”

Oliver watched Felicity’s eyes go wide. “Are you crazy? He was hired to kill you.”

“I love you for worrying Smoak, but we have bigger fish to fry,” Tommy looked over to Oliver and sighed. “Lawton says he wasn’t hired directly by Blood.”

“He could be lying,” he said, looking between his best friend and girlfriend. “He is a hired gun.”

“Yeah I thought that too. Until he told me the guy who hired him was a fellow associate of his,” Tommy paused as he took a breath. “A sword-wielding, masked man who goes by the name Deathstroke.”

“A mask?”

“Nice orange and black number apparently,” Tommy added. “So just thought you’d want to know your ex friend also hired the hitman who wants to kill me.”

“Okay new plan,” Felicity shook her hands out as she reached for Tommy’s shoulder. “You need to leave before Slade arrives.”

“Or I can stay and help see what this guy is up to?”

“Felicity’s right,” Oliver said as he took a step closer to his friend. “If Slade sees you it might put the thought in his head that Deadshot hasn’t tried to take you out. That won’t end well. For anyone here.”

“I’m not leaving you two here when a sword toting, crazy man is coming to this house.”

“Okay, but I doubt a sword looks good with a suit,” Felicity said as she looked between both of them.. “Besides, Quentin and Laurel will kill you if you don’t show up. Everything has to seem normal. So go to your dinner and we will meet up at the Foundry later.”

Tommy looked like he wanted to argue, but the longer Felicity stared the more Oliver knew his friend would back down. No one really chanced arguing with Felicity, it was safer not to.

“Fine, I will go,” Tommy raised his hands in surrender. “But the second something feels off, you have to call me.”

“We will,” Oliver said. “I promise.”

Tommy nodded then headed towards the door. “I don’t like this Ollie.”

“Neither do I,” he replied. “But if Slade sees you and decides to move whatever this plan is up. We can’t risk that.”

“You two be careful,” Tommy said then smirked as he looked directly at Felicity. “Keep him out of trouble.”

“I will do my very best,” she teased, and it did ease some of the tension in his shoulders.

They stood with each other as Tommy left, Felicity leaning herself back against his chest. He took the quiet of the moment to steady himself. He didn’t know what Slade had planned, he didn’t know if he could go to this party and act like everything was normal. But he knew with Felicity there he could try. He could always try. 

His door opened once more, as Thea stepped in. 

“Mom told me to come and get you,” she said. “Guests are starting to arrive.”

“Great,” he sighed. “Let’s get this over with.”

\---


End file.
